Homecoming
by MizHyde
Summary: She realized with a jolt that six years was a long stretch of time. Her time in America felt like another lifetime ago, the people she had known and loved back then nothing more than characters in a story that had long since lost any semblance of familiarity. She could not erase the feeling that she was stepping into a time machine.
1. Chapter 1

**Chapter One**

* * *

 **Up close and personal, Brie Danielson looked like a movie star.**

Ari Harris spotted her almost immediately when she got off the plane at Logan International Airport in Boston, Massachusetts, an ethereal vision in white. Brie's maxi dress was lacy, off-the-shoulder and fell to her ankles. A giant wicker hat, wicker shoulder bag, and wicker wedge sandals completed her look, with giant Gucci sunglasses that covered half of her face. Her lips were painted ruby red to match her fingernails. Ari knew the glasses and hat were more than a fashion statement, that they were a way to try and make herself incognito among the people in the airport, but even dressed down, there was something glamorous about her that made Brie stand out head and shoulders above everyone else.

Brie's arm shot up to wave at her, and Ari smiled to acknowledge that she saw her before she began to weave her way through the crowd of people. Overwhelmed and anxious, Ari kept the smile plastered on her face, forcing it to stick around even as the muscles in her cheeks began to burn. It was her first time on American soil in six years, and she wanted people to believe that she was excited to be back, but the truth was that she was afraid. She was nervous – before she had left the country, she had been in a terrible place. Stepping off the plane seemed to bring a lot of those memories back to the forefront of her mind.

On the plane, thirty thousand feet in the air, Ari realized with a jolt that six years was a long stretch of time by any standard. Her life in America felt like another lifetime ago, the people she had known and loved back then nothing more than characters in a story that had long since lost any semblance of familiarity. In six years, she'd built an isolated, nomadic life that was off-the-grid, with minimal possessions and a small laptop. In the air, looking out at the clouds, it was hard for Ari to shake the feeling that she was about to step into a time machine.

Boston, Massachusetts, was a far cry from where she had been born in raised in Aberdeen, Washington, but not as far from her second home in Philadelphia, where she'd gone to college so long ago. On the plane, she'd smiled every time her years in Philly came to mind; she had spent some of the best years of her life there. It was only now, all this time removed, that she could step back and admit that to herself. Back then, it felt like nothing but chaos, stress, and hard work, with the drama of life thrown into the mix.

"Hey!" Brie greeted as Ari approached. She moved around the black and navy stroller to give Ari a hug. "It's so good to see you again. Long time, no see. How was the flight?"

"Good, once we got in the air," Ari answered as they pulled away from each other. Ari looked around the airport, taking in every detail around her. Brie studied the woman in front of her, red lips pursing into a narrow line as she took in the shaking of her hands and her rigid posture. It had been Ari's original plan to fly out to Aberdeen, but Brie's email two weeks ago about surprising Bryan for his birthday had changed the plans she had made.

"Are you okay?" Brie asked. "You're shaking."

"Oh. I'm fine." She clasped her hands in front of her in hopes of making it stop. Brie studied her, and Ari released a deep sigh. "I'm not going to lie...it just feels weird to be back. Like, really, really weird."

"How long has it been now?"

"Six years." Ari's gaze turned to the smiling baby in the stroller, with blonde hair that had a little bit of curl and big blue eyes that felt so familiar. "This must be baby Bird." She smiled. "She looks so much like Bryan..."

"I know."

"She's getting so big..."

"You don't have to tell me," Brie said with a laugh. "I blinked, and now she's crawling."

Ari smiled. She thought about asking Brie for a moment to hold her niece for the first time, but she knew that they were on a time crunch. Their first order of business was to get out of the airport. She knew that Brie's job as a WWE Superstar had her on a tight schedule, even if she wasn't competing on the card. The window of opportunity to ask closed quickly when Brie took her place behind the stroller and turned it towards the exit. Ari fell into step with Brie, the two of them walking towards the baggage claim.

"I haven't told Bryan you're here," Brie confessed. "I feel like I should get some kind of a medal for that. I usually can't keep a secret to save my life. I haven't even told Nicole. I mean, I only told her this morning because she's got every detail of this party planned to the second..." Ari offered a polite smile in response to Brie's rapid babbling. "I didn't want to risk the surprise getting blown. Bryan doesn't even know that Bird and I flew out. I want him to be surprised."

"Is Nikki here, too?"

"Yeah. She's going through a bad breakup right now, so she's throwing herself into things to stay distracted," Brie said with a shrug. "She's out picking up the party decorations right now. The plan is to sneak you into the arena while he's competing tonight so that he doesn't see you." Ari knew it was a special birthday for him; it was his first birthday since getting cleared to get back inside the ring only two months before. "He is going to _freak_ when he sees you." She looked over at Ari. "You didn't tell him you were coming, did you?"

"No. No. You were pretty adamant I keep my mouth shut, so I just sent him a happy birthday text before I got on the plane." Brie's smile got bigger.

"Perfect! Absolutely perfect! He'll never suspect a thing." The two of them came to a stop at the baggage claim. "How long are you going to be here for?"

"Six weeks."

"Wow."

"I've got a lot of time banked, and my boss thinks this is overdue." They fell silent, watching the bags on the conveyor belt. Ari studied each bag, thinking about everything she had missed since leaving the country: Bryan headlining his first _WrestleMania_ , his wedding to Brie, the birth of their daughter, his forced retirement due to his history of concussions. Ari had left America and stayed gone, throwing herself into a career that slingshot her all over the world. Ari lived in a carefully constructed bubble of isolation, crafted by her own design, and it all started one morning years ago when she decided to wake up and disappear. She'd left everyone and everything but her immediate family behind.

While they waited for their bags, a few people somehow managed to recognize Brie. While she snapped selfies and signed autographs for them, Ari kept her eyes in front of her, looking for the blue camouflage bags. When they came through, she pulled the bags off the belt and put them on the ground, pulling up the handles. Brie said her goodbyes to the fans, and together they walked towards the sliding glass doors.

"You get a room at the hotel?" Brie asked. Ari shook her head.

"I tried, but you WWE guys booked all the rooms. I'm over at the DoubleTree."

"That's not far from here. I'll drop you off so you can get yourself settled in for the night." Brie's face contorted into a pout. "It's too bad you couldn't get a room where we are. Would have made things a lot easier..."

"You guys booked all the rooms. There wasn't much I could do," Ari reiterated. "I tried. Really, I did. There was nothing they could do but put me on a waiting list, and I didn't want to take the chance of being left without a room."

Before Brie could respond, a well-placed ring of her phone cut their conversation short. Brie went through her purse and pulled out her phone, answering it quickly. "Hello, Nicole," Brie greeted. She listened for a few moments. Nikki spoke so loudly that Ari could hear her clearly through the phone. "I just picked up Ari at the airport. I'm about to take her to get checked into the hotel so she can rest a while before she gets ready..." Brie listened for a moment. Shifting her weight to her left side, Ari was sure Brie was also rolling her eyes. Brie pulled the phone from her ear. "Do you have something fancy to wear to the party? Nicole wants to know."

"I think I might have something in my bag. I don't know if it's as fancy as she wants it..."

"I'm sure what you have is fine," Brie assured her with a shake of her head. She turned her attention back to the call. "That's fine. It's fine. Nicole, I said it's fine. I'll see you at the arena." She hung up the phone, shaking her head as she dropped her phone back into her wicker bag. "Ugh. My sister sometimes."

"What?"

"I just wanted this to be a simple get-together, and she's turning this into a black-tie affair," Brie vented, shaking her head. "I should have known this would happen when she said she wanted to help plan the party."

They walked through the sliding glass doors, out into the beautiful weather. Crossing the parking lot, Brie cocked her head in the direction of her rental car, a red Toyota Camry. When they reached the car, Brie opened the trunk and handed Birdie off to her aunt while she took down the stroller and wedged it into the trunk. Ari handed Birdie back to her mother. Ari stacked her bags in the back seat, in the open spot behind the driver's seat.

Inside the car, in the passenger's seat, Ari's hands shook so much that it was two attempts to get her seat-belt on. If Brie noticed, she didn't say anything about it, something that Ari was grateful about. When she was buckled in, Ari clasped her hands together and put them on her lap. The bubble of anxiety that had been in the pit of her stomach was now working its way up inside her chest.

"I'll pick you up around nine-thirty and we'll hit the arena together," Brie told her. Ari nodded. "Bryan told you about our TV shows, right?" Ari nodded; she remembered the day Bryan told her about Brie and Nikki signing their _Total Divas_ deals. He'd been so nervous at the time, but by the time they got their _Total Bellas_ spin-off, Bryan said the cameras were like second nature. Ari wasn't sure if she could ever get used to living with a camera on her all the time. Bryan told her after a while, it wasn't as noticeable, something she had a hard time believing. "They might ask you to sign a release so they can show your face on the show. Just...don't feel obligated to sign if you don't want to, okay? It's up to you." Ari nodded; the idea of being on TV made her want to break out in hives. Even as a child, Ari liked to hide in the background, often seen but never heard. She was sure her upbringing had wired her like that.

Her thoughts came to a halt when Brie started the car, flooding the interior with indie music Ari hadn't heard. Brie backed out of the parking stall carefully. Looking out the passenger window, Ari struggled to steady her nerves. Looking over at her sister-in-law, Brie smiled sympathetically.

"You seem nervous."

She looked over at Brie and nodded. "It's been a long time." Brie had her suspicions that there was far more to the story, but she didn't want to pry. She was sure that she would find out all the details over the next six weeks.

Since booking her flight, Ari had been living in a near-constant state of reflection. She knew there was a very high chance that she was going to run into some familiar faces in the next six weeks, and she knew some were going to be angrier at her than others for sneaking off like a thief in the night without a word. At the time, she thought it was her only option and the best thing to do for the people around her. At the time she thought she'd become a burden, that even if they weren't saying it outright, everyone saw her as pathetic and pitiful. With six years away from everything, Ari was willing to admit her strategy had been a mixed bag of content and disappointment. For everything she loved about the life she had built, she had given up so much. She missed seeing her family in the flesh. She missed her best friend.

* * *

 **The sun was beginning to disappear behind the horizon when Ari awoke in her hotel room.** Lying on top of the covers, Ari blinked, a hand moving over her face to rub her eye. She was surprised that she had fallen asleep, but she supposed that she was exhausted from the arrangements and the flight. The moment she'd thrown herself back on the mattress, she had fallen asleep, a deep and dreamless sleep. With a yawn and a stretch, Ari sat up on the bed, her eyes falling on the black alarm clock on the dark wood nightstand. The clock read thirty-five minutes past eight. She felt relief; she had plenty of time to get ready before Brie came to pick her up.

With another yawn, she stood and stretched once more. Approaching the window, she looked out at the congested traffic and winced. She thought back to her sixteenth birthday when Bryan had come home for a week with a concussion and spent it teaching her how to drive. Ari was sure she had mentally blocked out some of the more terrible memories that had come with that week, but at the end of it, she knew how to drive. A small smile tugged at the corner of her mouth as she recalled her first fender-bender. Bryan had made a mountain out of a molehill. He had reacted so hysterically that Ari started becoming selective with the things she told him. Turning away from the window, Ari crossed the room to go through her bags to find what she needed to get ready.

The shower was as hot as she could stand it, the warm sprays offering comfort to her tired muscles. It was only a five-hour flight, but the emotional weight of the trip seemed to take far more out of her than she realized. She stayed in the shower until the bathroom was fogged and until her skin had taken on a rosy tint. Stepping out of the shower, she wrapped the white towel around her frame, tucking it into place so she could work on drying and straightening her hair. The days of unmanageable curls were long gone, another change that had come with leaving her old life behind.

She turned on the fan and cracked the bathroom door to disperse the steam before she wiped a wide patch of it off the mirror with her hand. She plugged in the hair dryer first and worked at brushing and drying her hair. Arista worked in silence, doing her best to ignore the storm raging within. She took deep breaths while she worked, while her mind raced with a dozen thoughts a minute, in every possible direction. Who was she going to see? How many familiar faces had made it to WWE in her absence? How many people remembered her, and moreover, how many of them wanted to wring her neck when they saw her?

Ari stared at the tired reflection in the mirror, her lips thinning into a bemused smile. While it was common knowledge on the wrestling scene that she was the sister of the "American Dragon", it was never a secret that their relationship was the result of adoption papers signed by his mother when she was young. Standing side by side, the two looked nothing alike; Bryan was five-eight, grizzled and dirty blonde with blue eyes. Ari was a statuesque Greek woman of five-ten, with curly blondish-brown hair and light grey-green eyes framed by short, thick lashes.

The dress she wore was black, a simple fit and flare style that clung to her in all the ways a little black dress was supposed to. She spun around, taking in her reflection, loving the way the skirt spun with her body. It was rare she wore dresses – what she wore was one of two in her entire wardrobe, both black – but after Nikki's phone call, she knew jeans and a T-shirt were going to be frowned upon. She accessorized it with a necklace she'd been given by her mother when she turned sixteen, one of her most treasured possessions. The makeup she wore was simple; a small amount of eyeliner, mascara, and gloss. It was years before she wore makeup, a direct result of Bryan's lectures about the evils of the beauty industry. Bryan seemed to define a lot of things in her life, and as she grew into an adult, she learned that her relationship with him and his opinions on things were often a double-edged sword.

A pair of ballet flats finished her look. She looked in the bathroom mirror one last time, fixing her hair so it fell straight around her face. She placed her hands on her abdomen and took a deep breath. Walking out into the hotel room, she slid some money and her key-card into her bra. She looked at herself in the mirror above the desk to make sure there wasn't anything out of place. She slid on her black moto jacket and zipped it to the sternum. Brie would be arriving soon, and then it would be showtime. She went to her bag and pulled out the silver gift box with the blue bow on it. Running her finger over the box, she hoped that Bryan liked what was inside of it.

* * *

 **The drive to the arena had consisted mostly of Birdie making cute noises in the backseat and Brie talking about her clothing line and brand of wine**. Ari realized during the drive that she barely knew her sister-in-law; it never occurred to her that Bryan would find someone just as ambitious and driven as he. She learned on the way to the venue that _SmackDown_ co-taped with a show called _205 Live_ , that _205_ taped before _SmackDown_ started. Ari learned the show was for the company's Cruiserweight division, a division that had been dead and buried at the time Ari had left.

When they arrived at the arena, Brie gave Ari directions to the party room before she left to meet Bryan at Gorilla – the area that separated backstage and the ring. It was Brie's hope to cut Bryan off at the pass so Ari could move around backstage undetected. So, clutching her blue and silver gift to her chest like she was holding textbooks, Ari followed Brie's directions to the letter, down a suspiciously empty hallway. She took her place in front of the closed grey door.

With a deep breath, Ari used one of her shaky hands to smooth imaginary wrinkles out of her garment. In the arena now, with some of the most glamorous women on the planet, Ari suddenly felt self-conscious about herself and her choice in fashion, about the lack of makeup, nail polish, and high heels. She had never been that kind of girl, but suddenly she felt like she should have been. Back on home soil, Ari was suddenly hit with all the old feelings of being inferior, of being an outcast, of wanting to change everything about herself if it meant she could fit in just once. The feeling knocked the wind out of her, left her breathless and panicky. She suddenly wanted to turn and run away, forget that she had ever come back. She had no idea who or what waited for her on the other side of the door, but everything felt like a mistake, like the biggest mistake she had ever made in her life.

Before she could register what she was doing, her arm shot out and knocked on the door, following the specific rhythm Brie had shown her on the dashboard of the car. It was a secret knock to let the people on the other side know that it wasn't Bryan, that it was someone there to help set up the party.

A moment passed. She thought about knocking again, but then she heard the sound of something tipping over and some shuffling. "No, no. You just do your thing. Stay put. I got this..."

She froze.

The door swung open, the man in front of her freezing as well, his initial shock causing him to drop the Styrofoam cup of coffee he had been holding. It hit the ground with a soft _thump_ , the coffee spilling out in every direction. Ari felt it hit her leg and her flats, but she couldn't move. She felt herself grow pale underneath his gaze, and she suddenly felt two feet tall. Every patch of exposed skin burned underneath a familiar gaze, a gaze that had once held so much comfort and acceptance, but now felt critical and scrutinizing.

On the other side of the door, Drew Gulak couldn't believe his eyes. The two of them stood in silence, with matching expressions that resembled somebody seeing a ghost in the flesh. Neither made any attempt to move. Every word they wanted to speak seemed to die in the space between them. It was moments before anyone spoke, but it was Drew who broke the silence.

"Ari?"


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter Two**

* * *

 _ **2006**_

 _"_ _Look, Ari, I appreciate you putting me up for the night and everything, and I really hate to sound like a jerk here, but just...please don't say or do anything to embarrass me or make me look stupid in front of everyone here, okay? I'm probably going to be working with these guys quite a bit moving forward, and I just...just...best behavior, okay?"_

 _It was on the tip of her tongue to ask Bryan when she had ever done such a thing, but Ari remained silent as she pulled her beat-up Oldsmobile into an empty parking space at the small arena where Combat Zone Wrestling was running their show. It was the first time she'd seen Bryan since moving across the country for college, and since he was only staying over for the night, the last thing she wanted to do was start an argument with him over her etiquette. All she wanted was a pleasant visit; she had no idea when she would see him next. So, instead of becoming defensive, she nodded, chalking up his request as the result of first-night jitters with a new promotion._

 _Ari had been caught by surprise when Bryan called from the airport, looking for a ride and a place to crash for the evening. She wondered why he hadn't said anything to her about coming out in advance, but she was more than happy to give him her couch for the night; it saved him paying for a hotel room, and it gave her a chance to see him. It was no secret that he wasn't making big league money, that his life was far from glamorous while he tried to carve out a niche for himself in the pro wrestling industry. Staying with Ari meant he could save a good amount of money; he also knew that she would feed him and do his laundry while he was there._

 _Bryan was in Philadelphia to invade CZW on behalf of the CHIKARA promotion. His presence at the event was supposed to lead to a cross-promotional battle between the two organizations, and his presence at the show was going to be a big deal for the independent scene. Intrigued by what he had told her, for the first time since graduating high school, Ari had asked to come out and see the show. Of course, since moving to Philadelphia, she'd seen the CZW flyers around town, stapled to telephone posts and taped to walls and tacked to cork boards, on and around campus, but she'd regarded them dismissively._ _Pro wrestling was always a world that she had dipped her toes in but maintained a healthy distance from. Her association with the industry was strictly because of Bryan's involvement, nothing more and nothing less. When she'd asked, Ari was sure that Bryan would tell her not to come, based on previous experiences, but he'd surprised her by agreeing. In the hours since, however, he'd been picking her apart, begging and pleading with her to watch everything from what she said to what she wore. It made her wonder why he had even agreed to let her come to the show at all._

 _She killed the ignition and they got out of the car together, slamming the doors shut in unison. They went to the back of the car, Bryan standing to the left of her, waiting while she unlocked the trunk so he could grab his black bag. On the drive over, Bryan had spent the entire time warning her about behaving the way she had last time. He'd warned her that CZW was a promotion that dealt in blood and ultra-violence; it was the company mantra. He'd warned her that there was nothing to panic or worry about. Bloodshed and mayhem were commonplace inside the building, so there was no need to act hysterical. She knew that he was trying to make her remember her place in his world, in the grand scheme of things. Instead of arguing with him, she'd only absorbed every word he spoke, remaining silent until he asked her if she understood what he was telling her._

 _Approaching the door, Bryan held it open for her to walk inside. Ari was immediately hit with the faint smell of beer, heat, and sweat. She crinkled her nose, an involuntary reaction. It was a wide open space, with a ring in the middle surrounded by grey steel folding chairs and a makeshift entrance area on the other side of the ring. There were two men sparring between the ropes who stopped immediately when they walked through the door. During her time on the road with Bryan in high school, Ari had learned about the behind-the-scenes etiquette, from shaking hands with everyone in the building to staying until the show was over, so she wasn't at all surprised when the men got out of the ring and approached. Her eyes fell on the lanky one who was two steps ahead of the other, dressed in a CZW T-shirt and silver basketball shorts. He moved with confidence, shoulders back, head held high. His hair was slicked with sweat. Wiping his hands on the sides of his shorts, the man grinned and extended his hand. Bryan did the same._

 _"Hi, there. Bryan Danielson."_

 _"_ _I know who you are. Huge fan. Love the stuff you've been doing with Ring of Honor." The man turned to Ari, his brown eyes taking in her wild curly hair and big eyes. He flashed her a smile, hoping to squash the nervousness he sensed radiating from her in waves. "Drew Gulak," he said, more to both of them as he shook Ari's hand. "As the two of you will learn, I'm a man of many hats around here. If you can't remember how to pronounce my name, it rhymes with 'attack'."_

 _"_ _Ari Harris. It's nice to meet you," she greeted with a soft laugh at his introduction. Drew's eyes widened; there was a surprising amount of strength behind her handshake, an unexpected development._

 _"I think Claudio mentioned something about you. You're the medic, right?"_

 _"One and the same," she laughed. "I guess my reputation precedes me."_

 _"No, no. I think it's great. Especially because I think you broke my hand," he told her sheepishly. He laughed when she let go of his hand as if it had just burst into flames._

 _"Oh, God, I am so sorry," she blurted._

 _"I'm kidding, I'm kidding," he assured her quickly. "It's just...that is a handshake." The last statement was directed more at Bryan than at Ari. Bryan nodded, but he didn't know; he never shook hands with her. The duo shook hands with the other guy, identified as Toby. Drew clapped both his hands together when the introductions were over._

 _"Come on," he told them with a wave of his hand. "I'll give you guys the five-cent tour of this place. Bryan, I'll show you where the locker room is so you can get yourself ready."_

 _With a nod, Bryan and Ari followed Drew towards the entrance area that would lead them to the back, Bryan's hand on Ari's spine. They walked quietly, Bryan's pleas not to make him look bad at the forefront of Ari's mind. She remained silent, only speaking when spoken to. All she ever wanted was for her brother to be happy; the last thing she wanted to do was upset Bryan on a night that felt big for him._

* * *

 **"Drew."**

Ignoring the spilled coffee on the floor between them, their hands reached out, going into an old routine that remained imprinted in their minds in spite of the years apart. Their unspoken secret handshake ended in Drew stepping over the coffee and enveloping Ari in the tightest hug she'd ever received in her life, her chest crunched against his roughly. She held onto him just as tightly, fighting to hold back the tears that threatened to spill from her eyes. Drew winced at the feeling of her fingers digging into his shoulders. He didn't want to let her go.

Pulling back from their embrace, she took him in, the man in the well-tailored black suit with the burgundy button-down shirt and black skinny tie held with a silver clip. His appearance had surprised her; she'd always remembered him the way she had seen him last; the skinny kid in the ill-fitting suits who took everything so seriously. In the six years since she'd seen him, he'd added more muscle, grown a bit wider. He filled out his suits much better. His hair was lighter, and there was a beard now, but his brown eyes still held the glint of mischief that she adored so much.

Drew studied the woman in front of him, committing every new detail to memory so he could replace the old image he had of her. In her absence, he noticed that she had built some muscle and gotten toned. Ari had always been extremely active, but he realized that she had found something that really worked for her in her time away. The most disappointing development to Drew was the loss of her curly hair, replaced by straight hair that was parted in the middle. He'd always loved her curly hair, loved watching her fight with it. Aside from that, she was exactly how he remembered her, with those sparkling eyes, and the smile that always had the ability to knock him off his axis.

"Holy shit," he blurted, eyes wide. "You're here. Like, for real. You're really here." He couldn't keep himself from babbling excitedly. Drew had no idea what to do, or even what to say. For years he'd rehearsed, crafted promos in his mind, some happy, some angry, but now that she was in front of him, everything had gone out the window. The conflicting emotions that hit him left him feeling like he'd been knocked stupid. Words escaped him.

"Bryan never mentioned you got signed," she told him quietly. Drew wasn't at all surprised; there had always been an underlying tension with Bryan when it came to their friendship. It was never something stated explicitly, but Drew could tell over the years that Bryan wasn't a huge fan of Ari getting involved with the industry in any facet, volunteer or otherwise.

With their secret handshake out of the way and the surprise of seeing each other in the flesh wearing off, Ari could suddenly feel the tension in the air between them, thick and suffocating. Sucking in a breath, she tacked a smile on her face. "Congratulations. It's great. I mean, I can't think of anyone else who deserves it more."

"Thanks," he told her. "I got signed, like, two years ago. WWE did this thing, the Cruiserweight Classic, and they brought me in for it. When they decided to revive the division, I got the call, and here I am." They fell quiet. His next words were soft, quiet enough for only Ari to hear. "I can't believe this. I never thought I'd see you again."

His words hit Ari like a punch in the chest. The thick emotion in his voice made her feel even worse than she thought possible. Moving to the side, he extended his hand to assist her over the spilled coffee. She stepped over the puddle, struggling to keep herself together. Once she was inside, he let go of her hand. She turned to him, wanting to say something, anything to try and clear the air between the two of them.

"Drew, I..."

"I hate to do this, Ari, but I just want to get this cleaned up quick before someone slips. Hold the thought, I'll be right back," he promised, taking two steps back. "I'm just going to get something to clean this up." He looked her up and down, at the black ballet flats, at the dress that was simple yet so beautiful on her. "Don't go anywhere. Just make yourself comfortable. I'll be right back." He shook his head. "Dude...you and I are going to have to have a talk while you're here."

Then he was gone.

When he was out of sight, Ari released the shaky breath she'd been holding. A tear slipped from her eye, and she turned away from the open door, wiping it away carefully with her finger. He had been the last person she'd expected to see. The fact that he didn't slam the door in her face or verbally berate her somehow made her feel worse. She held her gift to her chest like a security blanket and tried to calm herself down.

"What was that all about?"

Turning, Ari saw Nikki Bella standing behind her, dressed in a black shimmering peplum dress with sky-high Louboutin heels. Her long brown hair was brushed straight, falling to her spine. She was made up, complete with bright red lips. In each hand, she held a bottle of champagne. Ari flashed her a smile that felt crooked and forced.

"Drew and I go back a long way," she said. "So...what can I help with before Brie and Bryan get here?"

"I think we're almost all set here," Nikki told her. "Everything is just about done." Nikki moved past Ari to put the champagne in the buckets of ice on the table. Stuck in her spiral, Ari studied the table of snacks and cupcakes, getting hit over and over with the same sharp pangs of guilt she'd been feeling since she got off the plane.

The door opened. Turning, she saw Drew had returned, armed with paper towels. Ari rushed forward. "Can I help?" she asked, surprised at how meek she sounded. She stopped in her tracks when Drew held up a hand.

"No, no. I got this," he assured her. Ari rushed and grabbed the garbage can, bringing it closer to him. Nikki was at the table across the room, setting up the gifts and cards just so. Ari realized that Nikki was a perfectionist. She wondered if the gift boxes were for show, or if people had really gotten gifts for her brother. She didn't want to place her gifts with the others; it had very much become her security blanket, something for her to hold onto while her nerves threatened to get the better of her.

Drew finished cleaning the spilled coffee. He stood, throwing the bundle of paper towel into the trash bin with the Styrofoam cup. The door opened quickly, almost hitting Drew, but he managed to get out of the way in the nick of time. Brian Kendrick walked into the room, dressed in white tights, a Nirvana T-shirt and his leather jacket. His eyes fell on Ari and his smile stretched wide.

"Well, if this isn't a blast from the past!" Brian announced excitedly, rushing over to give her a hug. Wrapping his arms around her waist, she yelped as he lifted her off the ground and gave her a spin. He put her down, laughing. "Holy shit. When the hell did you get here?"

"This afternoon."

"Bryan know you're here?" Ari shook her head.

"No. It's a surprise."

"He's gonna _freak_ ," Brian said with a laugh. Pulling away from her, he looked her up and down. "You look great."

"Thanks. I had no idea you re-signed."

"He's part of the Cruiserweight division with me," Drew jumped in, taking his place beside Brian. "The two of us have a team right now with Jack Gallagher. He should be making an appearance back here tonight, so you'll get a chance to meet him." Ari nodded. The door opened and a few more people piled into the room, some faces she recognized, while others she didn't know.

"Ari! Long time, no see," Samoa Joe greeted, bumping fists with her. While she didn't know him super well, they'd crossed paths in her high school years, before his tenure with TNA Wrestling became super-exclusive and he quit having matches with Ring of Honor. Ari was surprised he remembered her. It dawned on her that she hadn't spoken about this aspect of Bryan's life with him in six years. Their talks were about her life, about family things. There had been some incredible people she had met during her CZW medic days, and she knew that it would be a matter of time before they made it here. But she realized that leaving the country had given Bryan every excuse to push her out of this world, and it was something she had been completely fine with at the time; now, she felt exposed, and she felt selfish.

"Hi, Joe. Good to see you."

"How have you been? It's been a while."

"I've been doing well. How about you?"

"Living the dream," he told her, holding his arms out. She couldn't help but smile.

"Hey – you."

Ari turned to see Nikki approaching, a pink cell phone in her hand. She used her free hand to grip Ari by the arm. "In the shower," Nikki commanded. "I just got the text from Brie. She's on her way with the birthday boy. So, you gotta move. Like, now."

With a quick, fleeting look at Drew and Brian, Ari nodded and moved to the shower area, hiding behind the corner. Drew watched her disappear from his view. Brian saw something flicker in Drew's eyes. Brian gave him a gentle nudge with his arm. Drew looked over at Brian. Without a word spoken, Brian cocked his head and Drew nodded, his lips pursing into a thin line.

Out of sight, Ari leaned her head against the wall and tried to keep herself together. Her chest felt like it was vibrating. The shaking in her hands seemed to be getting worse. Drew's words "we're going to have to talk" rang in her head over and over. In the wide open shower space, she felt claustrophobic.

It was a few moments before she heard the door open and heard everyone shout "Happy birthday". She heard his laugh. Face to face with so many faces from her past, Ari wondered why she had agreed to come out to Boston, instead of heading back home to Aberdeen. The idea of talking to Drew about her whereabouts for the last six years wasn't anything she was looking forward to.

"Have a seat, Bryan. I've got a huge surprise for you," she heard Brie say.

"A huge surprise? What's bigger than you and Bird?" he asked. Ari sucked in a deep breath. She couldn't remember a time where she had felt so nervous.

Nikki was in front of her seconds later. "Come on. It's showtime."


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter Three**

* * *

 _ **2006**_

 _"Hey. I am so super sorry, but I forgot your name..."_

 _Ari looked up from her reading material to find Drew standing alone in the open doorway, his hands on both sides of the navy blue frame, body leaned slightly into the room. He was still in the clothing he wore during his sparring session earlier, but now she noticed that he wore white tape on his wrists. It struck her as an odd accessory, but she was willing to bet that he was wearing his wrestling gear underneath his clothing._

 _Across the room, from where he stood in the arch, Drew studied the quiet woman in front of him thoughtfully, not at all surprised to find her alone with her nose in a book. From the cover, he could see she was reading a medical textbook. He studied her intently, taking in every detail from her wild hair to the dark blue jeans, black T-shirt and monochrome striped cardigan she wore. He couldn't help but wonder if her solitude was by Bryan's design, if he had ordered her to stay in the backstage area while he performed. There was something about the siblings he couldn't put his finger on. While he didn't think she was in any kind of danger, it was clear to Drew that she was walking on eggshells, for reasons he didn't know._

 _"Are you talking to me?" she asked meekly. Drew offered her a warm smile and nodded, not bothering to point out that she was alone in the room. "It's Ari. If you can't remember how to pronounce it, it rhymes with 'sorry'." He could see the mischief shimmering in her light eyes. There wasn't a hint of annoyance in her voice or on her face; she spoke to him the way she would speak to an old friend, her tone full of genuine cheer. Drew couldn't help but laugh._

 _"Well played, Ari. I'm sorry." They laughed. "I should have remembered that. I'm usually much better with names." His tone was sheepish. She shook her head and dismissed his apology with a wave of her hand._

 _"Don't even worry about it. I can only imagine the volume of people you talk to on a daily basis. Plus, I imagine show days are busy ones."_

 _"You're absolutely right on all fronts," he told her. They fell quiet. Her free hand scanned along the wooden surface for her bookmark. Ari felt herself get uncomfortable under Drew's gaze, uncomfortable with the silence._

 _"Is everything okay?" she asked. "Nothing's happened to Bryan, has...?"_

 _"No, no. Everything is fine. Bryan's fine," he assured her quickly. "I was just getting ready to head out and take in the action, and I saw you were alone in here. Do you want to grab a coffee and join me? I mean, you don't_ have _to hang back here all night. I mean, unless you want to, then that's entirely up to you. I just figured with Bryan busy, you might want some company..."_

 _"Aren't you competing tonight?" she asked, cocking an eyebrow. He nodded._

 _"I am. But I go on later in the evening. Until then, I like to go out and see what the others are doing. It's kind of my thing around here," he told her. They fell quiet for a moment. "If you don't want to, you can say no. I won't be mad. I promise."_

 _"No, no. It sounds great. You actually had me at coffee," she told him with a smile. Drew pushed himself off the doorway as she placed her book into her shoulder bag and stood. She turned to him, tucking a curl behind her ear. "Should I bring my bag with me, or is it safe to leave back here? I haven't been to one of these things in a long time..."_

 _"You should be good to leave it. I mean, I leave my stuff back here all the time and nothing's happened yet," he told her honestly. He looked around the room for something wooden within reach to knock on, but there was nothing but steel and concrete. Ari realized what he was trying to do, and she couldn't help but laugh. Ari hated the nervousness and the fear that came with meeting new people; she was grateful that Drew seemed to be taking the lead. "You drink coffee?"_

 _She laughed. "I'm a college student. At this point, I've replaced my blood with it." It was his turn to laugh. She followed him out into the hallway, falling into step beside him. "I guess I should give you a head's up, but I hope you aren't in a rush. Bryan says I take forever to make my coffee. He calls me The Chemist..."_

 _"I'd know that voice anywhere..."_

 _Looking ahead, Ari found Claudio Castagnoli talking with Chris Hero. With an excited squeal, Ari ran from Drew, launching herself into the Swiss wrestler's arms. Pulling away, she hugged Chris, squealing with laughter as he picked her up off her feet and swung her around. Drew was surprised and fascinated by the exchange. When Chris put her down, she stumbled back a step. Drew was quick to rush in, putting a hand on her lower back to keep her steady and standing._

 _"I guess you guys know each other," Drew joked._

 _"I did a huge ROH weekend last year with Bryan before I graduated," she told him. "Claudio here was my bodyguard that weekend. On Bryan's orders."_

 _"It's great to see you," Claudio greeted. "How have you been?"_

 _"Bryan doesn't tell us_ anything _," Chris lamented._

 _"Good, good. I'm doing great. I moved out here about six months ago to start college."_

 _"College!" Claudio exclaimed, so animated that Drew and Ari had to stifle their laughter. "Amazing! What are you studying? Something medical, I bet." She tapped her nose twice, and the men roared with laughter. Chris looked over at Drew, then back at Ari._

 _"You here with Bryan?" he asked. She nodded._

 _"He's staying at my place tonight, so he humored me."_

 _"Now that you're living out here, I expect to see you out here more," Chris told her. She laughed._

 _"We're going to have to get together. I need another arcade night," Claudio told her. Drew watched her eyes light up at the memory._

 _"Oh my God, yes! Yes! We are absolutely going to have to. Claudio plays a mean game of Pac-Man," she told Drew. Ari looked between the two men. "I hate to cut the reunion short, but Drew here is taking me for some coffee, and then we're going to go and see what is going on out in the ring." Chris and Claudio looked over at Drew, the two men smirking at him._

 _"Gulak here can never resist playing Welcome Wagon," Chris teased. Drew shot him a chagrined look. "You're in good hands here, Ari. Drew here is one of the good ones. One of the best we got. You enjoy the show tonight, and if you need anything, we're around."_

 _"Thanks. I'll catch you guys later." Drew and Ari bumped fists with Claudio and Chris before the left, continuing on their journey to the concession area. "Wow. It's crazy seeing them here," she said when they were out of earshot. Drew smiled._

 _"Not that crazy. They're both trainers here," he told her. "Chris actually trained me."_

 _"You're kidding." Drew shook his head. "How long have you been doing this for?"_

 _"I'm pretty new to it. I've been on shows for about a year, a year and a half now, but I've been coming here for a while as a fan." They fell quiet. "So...you go to school out here?"_

 _"Yeah. I know, it's a far cry from Washington State, but I ended up getting a full scholarship at the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania. It's supposed to be one of the best medical schools in the country, so I jumped on it."_

 _"How are you liking Philly so far? Careful with your answer," he joked, filling two Styrofoam cups with coffee. She thanked him as he handed her a cup. Putting it down on the table, she reached for the sugar._

 _"I love it. I mean, I miss home, but so far, I like it out here." He fell quiet, watching her add a small amount of creamer. She took a sip and reached for more sugar. "I was going to ask where you're from, but your little joke makes me think you were born and raised here."_

 _"Is it that obvious?" he asked. They looked at each other and giggled. She took a sip of her coffee and reached for more creamer. "Have you seen the Rocky statue yet?"_

 _"Please. That was the first thing I did when I got here. And you know something? I was so excited to climb the steps to see it, but they moved it. How could they move it?" she asked him, taking a sip. She added a touch more sugar. Drew now knew what she meant by "The Chemist". She looked at him, feeling his brown eyes burn into every exposed patch of skin. Pulling the cup from her lips, she cocked an eyebrow._

 _"What?"_

 _"Did we just become best friends?" he asked. She scoffed._

 _"Please. You don't want to be friends with me. I'm like, the most boring person there is," she told him. Satisfied with her coffee, she cleaned up her mess. The two of them left the concession area through a side door that led out to the ring area, where people were sitting and watching the action._

 _"You don't sound boring at all," he assured her. "I mean, I didn't have you pegged as a Rocky fan."_

 _"My..uncle and I...we used to watch those movies all the time. He loved them. And Star Wars. I've got soft spots for them." There was a wistfulness on her face at the mention of her uncle and Drew felt bad for making her bring up the memories. She studied the people in the chairs. "Nobody ever notices you hanging around out here before you go out to the ring?"_

 _"They're used to it. I'm usually the one who opens up the doors," he told her with a laugh. "I've been coming here for years, long before I even started training. There's a steady group of regulars here, so we're pretty used to each other." They fell quiet. "So...you're Bryan's sister?" he asked. She nodded. "I never would have guessed."_

 _"It's by adoption. His mom legally adopted me when I was thirteen. He's been stuck with me ever since."_

 _"I doubt he sees it that way," he told her, sipping his coffee. His eyes were on his match._

 _"What about you? You got a sibling?" she asked. He nodded._

 _"Yep. I got a little brother. He's actually right over there." Drew pointed to the skinny kid in the front row on the left side of the ring. "He's been talking a lot about getting into this, too, so I'm trying to teach him everything I know. Give him a head start."_

 _"So...this is a family business," she told him. He laughed._

 _"It's sure looking that way. Which is great - he's the best tag partner I could ask for."_

 _"He got a name?"_

 _"Rory." The match ended and they applauded. "You don't come out to a lot of these? I've never seen you here before."_

 _"I don't really. Not without Bryan, usually. It's a long story, but Bryan kinda likes it when I hang back."_

 _"So why are you here tonight?"_

 _"Tonight? Because I've just got tonight with my brother, so I want to spend every minute with him that I can."_

* * *

 **It was so quiet in the room that Ari was sure she could have heard a pin drop as Nikki led her out of the shower area.** She still held onto the blue and silver gift box, afraid to release her hold on it. Sitting in the folding chair, Bryan's eyes widened to an almost comical degree at the sight of her. Ari offered him a weak smile, afraid that she would burst into tears if she opened her mouth. Bryan was out of his chair in a flash, rushing over to her and hugging her tightly. He was still in his ring gear, with his Yes is Back T-shirt. He hugged her tightly.

"Wow. This is crazy. I can't believe this. You're here. When did you get here?" he asked, pulling away from her.

"This afternoon."

"I can't believe this..." Bryan turned to his wife. "How...?"

"Turns out the girl was overdue for a vacation," Brie told him with a grin. She held Birdie in her arms. Bryan turned back to Ari.

"How long are you here for?"

"Six weeks." He shook his head, turning back to Brie.

"I don't know how you managed to do this," he told her. "I've been trying to get her back home for a visit for _years_!" Ari handed him the box she was holding. He looked at her, his blue eyes flickering.

"Happy birthday."

" _And_ you brought a gift? I'm spoiled," Bryan laughed. He turned and went back to his chair. Unsure of what to do with her hands now that she wasn't holding onto the gift, Ari clasped them in front of her. Drew quietly took his place beside her. His presence did nothing to ease her anxiety. Drew picked up on the tension; she knew that he could. In all the years they had known each other, Drew had become an expert at reading her like a book. "Can I open it now?" Bryan asked.

"You could, I guess." Ari could tell by the way that Nikki's lips puckered that she wasn't happy, that it wasn't at present time on her schedule for the party, but she said nothing else. In the corner of the room, Ari was aware of the camera crews filming for one of the shows. Nobody had approached her yet about signing a release, and she honestly had no desire to sign one. The idea of being on TV didn't appeal to her; it never did.

Bryan tore open the wrapping paper carefully, sliding the black box out. He opened it, pulling out the professional looking calendar. His eyes scanned it, and then he opened it, his eyes growing wide. "This is awesome," he said with a grin.

"Really?" she blurted. Behind her, she could hear Drew chuckle under his breath.

"I can't wait to bring this home." He put the box down and opened the calendar like he was opening a centerfold.

"It's a sixteen-month calendar for next year..." Ari trailed off as Bryan began flipping through the pictures, each page taking him to another location down Memory Lane. Drew moved past her to take a look.

"This is incredible. I haven't seen some of these shots in years. Claudio and I at ROH. Nigel. Drake. Punk. Ambrose." He shook his head, looking up at her, the smile on his face wide and infectious. "I can't believe you kept some of these. Oh, man, the night I invaded CZW." He shook his head, taking in the photographs of his younger days, the old days when he had been young and hungry and desperate to make a name for himself. "Joe, you're in here, too, in August. Look at this."

Joe took his place behind Bryan, looking down at the picture. "Oh, shit. That was a fun night, too." Bryan looked at Ari, his smile so wide Ari thought he looked like the Cheshire Cat.

"I love this. Thank you."

"Great. Well, now that all of that is out of the way, it's time for champagne!" Nikki announced with a loud "woo" at the end of her statement. Some in the room cheered, others offered polite applause as Nikki sashayed across the room for the bottles. Ari's attention was drawn from the scene in front of her when Drew tapped her lightly on the arm. She turned her attention to him.

"Did you want a glass?" he asked.

"I could use one," she confessed sheepishly.

"Yeah. Me, too," he said with a sigh. She didn't have to ask what he meant by that, and he gave her no time to respond before leaving to join Nikki at the table. Ari took a deep, shaky breath and forced a smile on her face. Bryan got up from his seat, placing the calendar on it before he approached Ari and wrapped his arm around her shoulders. Across the room, Ari saw Brian talking to a man in yellow pants, a white button-down shirt, and brown vest, his red hair slicked and his mustache well-groomed.

"I see nothing's changed," Bryan stated. Ari knew what he was referring to. Wanting to change the subject, she forced a smile on her face.

"Congratulations on getting cleared," she told him. She was thankful when Bryan took the bait.

"You know, I was beginning to think it was never going to happen," he confessed. "It's the best gift I could ever get...after Bird. I mean, if I can be honest, it feels like I've finally got my life back." He brought her into him. "I really can't believe you're here. I can't believe you didn't say anything."

"Brie was pretty insistent I keep it a surprise."

"That's incredible," he mused. "In all the time I've known my wife, she's never been able to keep a secret."

"She said the same thing."

"You're really here for six weeks?" he asked. She nodded. "Where are you staying?"

"Mom's."

"Brie and I are living out in Phoenix these days. You're going to have to come out and stay with us for a bit."

"I don't think I've ever seen Phoenix," she confessed. "I'd love to come out and get to know my niece a bit."

"I'd love for that, too."

"Ari! I want you to meet someone. Jack, this is Ari. Ari, this is Jack Gallagher."

Turning, she saw Brian with the redhead. Ari shook his hand. "Hello."

"Lovely to meet you. I've heard a lot about you," Jack told her. Ari couldn't keep the surprise off her face. Before she could say anything to the British wrestler, Drew returned, holding two glasses of champagne. He handed one to Ari and the other to Brie. Ari quickly took a sip. Ari wasn't at all surprised to see that Drew wasn't drinking; she could count on one hand the number of times she'd seen him imbibe.

"Are you at our hotel?" Bryan asked. She shook her head.

"I tried, but it was all booked up, so I'm at the DoubleTree by the airport."

"Well, that's lame. Did you need a ride back there tonight?"

"It's fine. I was just going to call a cab..."

"Nonsense." It was Drew who jumped in. They turned to him. "Sorry. Tony and I are staying at the same hotel. We can give you a ride back at the end of the night. It's not a big deal."

"Drew..." Ari started, but he shrugged off her objection.

"It's no trouble. We're going to the same place anyway. It'll save Bryan and Brie a trip at the end of the night."

"Are you sure?" she asked, seeing no way out of it.

"Yeah, I'm totally sure."

"Thank you," she offered.

"Sounds good. Brie and I will pick you up for breakfast in the morning before we head out," Bryan told her.

"Sounds great."

"Will we be seeing you again?" Jack asked. Ari nodded.

"Probably. I might do a loop with Bryan and Brie for a week."

"Well, then. It was nice meeting you."

"Nice to meet you, too, Jack." They shook hands again.

"It's good to see you, Ari." He gave her a hug. "Next time, don't be such a stranger."

* * *

 **"Drew, you really don't have to do this.** I could just call for a cab. It's really not..." Ari started. She trailed off when Drew shook his head. Off to the side, Tony Nese stood only a foot away from the duo, watching them with rapt fascination. Tony had noticed when Drew returned to the locker room that he was off his game, pale like he had seen a ghost. When they met with her, and Tony finally saw her, he understood. Without a word, Tony threw his bag in the back of the rental car and shut the trunk. He had immediately picked up on the tension between Ari and Drew and made the wise decision to just remain quiet.

"We're at the same hotel anyway, Ari, so it just makes sense. Saves you money on a cab, saves Bryan and Brie a trip, gives us a chance to catch up. It just works out," he told her with a shrug. Fishing his keys out of the pocket of his trousers, Drew unlocked the car with the push of the fob on the key-chain, the car coming to life with a beep. "I mean, it's been a while, so this is good." She nodded, the feeling of dread crushing her chest. Drew reached out and opened the passenger door for her to get inside the vehicle.

"Always the gentleman," she teased.

"It's the way my mother raised me," he answered. Ari and Tony got into the car. Drew made sure Ari was inside comfortably before he shut the door. She watched him move around the hood, towards the driver's seat, and she struggled to take a normal breath that didn't sound shaky. Out of everyone she could have possibly run into, she knew that Drew had to be the angriest of everyone. The fact that he wasn't outwardly showing it, that he wasn't peppering her with backhanded or vengeful comments and yelling at her somehow made her feel worse.

He got inside the car, pulling her from her thoughts. "Seatbelt," he chided gently. She nodded, buckling herself in while Tony and Drew did the same. From his spot in the backseat, Tony noticed that it was two attempts before she got herself buckled. He pursed his lips together. It was almost as if she were afraid of Drew, and the thought of that was ridiculous to Tony. There was definitely something going on, but he wasn't about to ask. It wasn't his can of worms to open. He resigned himself to the fate of surviving the awkward car ride just to question Drew like an investigator when they got back to their room.

Drew turned the key in the ignition and flooded the car with hip-hop music Ari didn't recognize. He put his arm around her seat, his eyes narrowing when he saw her shrink in her spot. When he was out of the parking spot, he removed his arm and readjusted himself in the driver's seat.

It was a quiet drive to the hotel. From his periphery, Drew could see her staring out the window, doing everything in her power not to look at him. Stealing a glance in the rear-view mirror, he saw Tony was doing the same. With a sigh, he put his focus back on the road. His mind was moving a hundred miles a minute. Sure, she had told him many times over the span of a year that she was just going to run away and disappear, but he never thought she would do it. It was a lot of work to leave a life behind, leave behind possessions and jobs. He didn't think she had the energy to do it.

But she did.

She'd disappeared, out of the blue, vanishing into thin air one day. She'd cut him out of her life completely, leaving him to wonder what he had done. He had his suspicions that there were other outside forces at play; he was sure he knew whose name was on the handle of the knife that had been stabbed into her heart, the person responsible for the downward spiral she'd fallen into. At the end of the day, he had been nothing more than collateral damage.

When they reached the hotel, Drew popped the trunk for Tony. "I'll meet you upstairs."

Tony knew better than to argue or ask questions. "Sure thing. It was nice meeting you, Ari."

"You, too, Tony. I'll probably see you around."

Tony got out of the car. Ari's stomach dropped to her feet when the door shut behind him. They watched Tony grab his suitcase, watched him cross the parking lot towards the hotel. Drew found an empty space and parked the car, killing the ignition.

Both of them were quiet for a long time. Ari thought about getting out of the car and making a run for her hotel room. She knew the sooner they ripped the Band-Aid off and talked about things, the better footing they would have, but the idea of having this talk scared her to death. Instead of moving, she looked down at her hands, biting her lower lip.

"Where have you been?"

She looked over at him and released a sigh. She knew that was going to be the first question he asked when she had a chance. Internally she was cursing Bryan for failing to mention Drew being signed. He knew all about their friendship, how close they had been when she had lived in Philadelphia. A simple warning would have given her a chance to prepare for this moment. "Around. Brazil. Puerto Rico. I've been in Honduras for the last year and a half."

"What are you doing out there?"

"Emergency response. Disaster relief and preparation. I teach first aid. I wear a lot of hats. I teach people how to survive natural disasters. I work with different branches of government teaching them about tactical responses and the most efficient ways to administer aid."

"I'm not at all surprised to hear this." They fell quiet.

"Drew, I..."

"Don't, Ari. Just...don't, okay? Not right now." They were quiet for a few minutes more. She wondered if she should get out of the car and leave. She was still waiting for him to do something, yell at her, shake her, anything that would betray just how angry he was with her. It bothered him that she couldn't read what he was going to do, that he wasn't being hateful, that he wasn't going to make her cry every tear she probably made him cry in her absence.

"I'm not going to lie to you, Ari," he started. "I really don't know how I feel right now. I've spent years thinking about this moment. Like...I want to be so angry with you, Ari. I want to be so angry because it makes the most sense. Because it's the logical thing to feel after what you did. But...I don't know. I mean, you up and left, and you disappeared without a word, without a phone call or an email. You cut me out, and you left me behind after everything. And Bryan? Do you think he told me _anything_? I was lucky that all I got was 'she's safe'. That's what I got to settle for."

"I'm sorry." She blinked back the tears that threatened to spill out of her eyes. "I know it doesn't mean anything, but I am."

"I want to be so angry at you. But I opened the door, and I saw you, and I just...I'm so fucking happy to see you," he blurted. "I should be angry, but all I want to do is give you the biggest hug and go back to those days in Philly."

"Those were some of the best days of my life," she told him, her voice cracking.

"Why did you leave?"

"I don't have a reason that's good enough for you," she told him sadly. "I'm sorry. I know that's probably not what you want to hear, but it's true. I don't. At the time, it just felt like the right thing to do."

"Ari..."

"And I knew you would have tried to talk me out of it. I couldn't tell you, because I know if you talked to me, I would have listened, and I would have stayed. But I wasn't happy."

Drew sighed, leaning his head back against the seat. "I know you weren't. Are you happy now?"

"I don't know," she answered honestly. "I just...I thought everyone would be happier if I just left."

"I sure wasn't," he told her bitterly. "For the last six years, all I've been thinking about is my best friend, and how much I want her back."

She wiped at her eyes. With a sigh, he reached into the center console and handed her a package of Kleenex. "Thank you," she told him softly. She looked down at her hands. She struggled so much to open the package that Drew had to help her. "I wish you hated me. You should."

He draped his arm around her shoulders and drew her in. She rested her head against his shoulder. "As angry as I could ever be with you, Ari, I could never hate you. Not you." She sniffled, the dam breaking. Ari released a choked sob that hit Drew in the chest. "Please don't cry."

"I'm sorry," she told him, trying to compose herself. She straightened herself.

"You got a phone?" he asked. She nodded. "Pass it."

Reaching into her bra strap, she handed him the phone. She watched his eyes narrow. She took the phone back. "I should probably do this. What's your number?"

"I didn't think that through," he confessed with a laugh. She programmed his number into her phone and sent him a message so he would have her number as well. "It's probably time to call it a night. I know it's probably been a long day for you. We've got plenty of time to catch up." She nodded. Together, they got out of the car. Drew locked it up with the push of a button.

"Do you talk to the old crew at all?"

"I do. Mia just got signed. She's in developmental."

"You're kidding. That's awesome!"

"Kimber was signed for a bit, but she didn't pan out. She's over in Japan right now. She asks about you all the time, so I guess now I have an answer for her." She watched him pull his duffle bag out of the trunk. He shut the door and turned to her. "I'm still training people out in Philly. Rory's wrestling with CHIKARA now. I'm still a fixture with the CZW crew."

"They still run out of that building?" she asked. He nodded. "They still do the death matches?"

"Tournament of Death, every year," he confirmed. They walked across the parking lot. "Nick's still there. He's kept his nose clean since getting out of jail. Adam Cole is down in developmental with Mia, but she's not managing him anymore. Now, he's got a faction and they're just killing it right now."

"Amazing." He held the door open for her to walk through. Once she stepped over the threshold, she held the door open for him to get through with his bag. "Are you headed back to Philly tomorrow?"

"Yep. Got a flight back out there first thing in the morning. How about you? You headed back to Aberdeen?"

"I think so...I don't know. Plans seem to change when Bryan and Brie are involved," she said with a laugh. "I was supposed to go to Aberdeen today. Boston was a change of plans." The two of them walked across the lobby to the elevator. They stood beside each other in silence.

"This feels weird," he told her. She nodded.

"Very weird."

"You, uh, changed your hair."

"I did. I don't have to fight with it as much anymore."

"I always did love the curls, though. They suited you." Before she could reply, the elevator doors slid open. She motioned for him to go through first, and she followed behind him. "What floor are you on?" he asked.

"Third."

"I'm on second." He hit the buttons, and the doors slid shut. "Hopefully I'll get to see you again while you're here.

"It would be nice," she admitted. The elevator came to a stop on his floor. He turned to her as the doors slid open.

"That's me. Have a good night, Ari. Don't be a stranger." She nodded. He walked off the elevator, turning back as the doors closed, separating them once again. Arista managed to hold herself together until she made it back to her room. Then, and only then, did she allow herself to break.


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter Four**

* * *

 _ **2006**_

 _With winter midterms down in the history books, Ari couldn't recall a time in her life when she had been so happy to see Friday approach. Sure, it was only a two-day reprieve, and she would be back to the grind of work and school first thing Monday morning, but for the next forty-eight hours she was looking forward to doing a whole lot of nothing. For two days, Ari didn't even want to_ think _about life and the responsibilities that came with it. The midterm week had proven to be Hell on Earth in every facet, and it didn't help that she'd maintained her work schedule on top of it, a mistake she should have learned during the fall midterms._

 _Ari got out of her shower, wrapping the maroon towel around her petite frame and tucking it into place. She'd had the shower as hot as she could stand it, her skin a rosy hue from the heat. Looking in the bathroom mirror, she could faintly see her reflection through the fog, could see her usually wild curls tamed in wet, limp waves. With a wide swipe of her hand, she cleared some of the fog off the mirror, her reflection staring back at her with exhausted eyes._

 _"In the end, this is all going to be worth it, Ari," she told herself. "At the end of all this, you'll have that stable career you've always wanted. Everyone is going to be proud of you. You're going to be everything they said you wouldn't. One day, this is all going to be worth it." She repeated the last sentence over and over again to a reflection that didn't appear to believe a word of it._

 _Leaving the bathroom, the steam followed behind Ari. She was diverted from her path to the bedroom by her phone going off on the coffee table. Moving quickly, she picked up her phone and continued to her bedroom, her eyes scanning the text message and narrowing._

Ari?

 _Pursing her lips together, she stopped in the doorway and typed out a reply._ Who's this?

 _It was a few moments before she received a reply._ It's Drew from CZW. Don't be mad – Claudio passed your number off to me. He'd message you himself, but he's caught up with some students at the moment.

I'm not mad. What's up?

I know your midterms just ended and you're probably wiped, but a few of us are going bowling. It's nobody you haven't met already. Wanna come?

 _She reread the message a few times. It wasn't a secret she hadn't made any friends since moving to Philadelphia; she was so bogged down with work and school that she didn't have the time to go out and do things. Her first instinct was to politely decline, to change into her warmest pajamas, wrap herself up in her Sailor Moon throw blanket on the couch and watch some TV. But she realized after a moment that going out with some people and letting loose for a night was just what she needed after the week she'd lived through. She also couldn't remember the last time she'd been bowling; it was while she was still in high school, she knew for sure. Ari sat down at the edge of her bed._

Sounds good. I can get ready and meet you there. Just give me the directions.

 _She put the phone down on the mattress and quickly got dressed. A pair of black jeans and a navy V-neck sweater over a black tank top was her fashion choice for the evening; something that was warm and comfortable but not too warm. She quickly applied eyeliner, mascara, and a coat of lip gloss. She did a side braid on her hair, over her left shoulder. Her phone went off again and she read over the directions. A smile tugged at her lips._ Perfect. I'm like two blocks away. I can just walk. Are you there now?

 _She walked into her living room, to the table by the door. Ari slid her keys and her wallet into the pocket of her jeans. Her phone went off._ Not yet. I'm just finishing some stuff. I should be there in about ten minutes. See you soon.

 _Ari slid her phone into her pocket and slipped on her black boots. Grabbing her burgundy parka from her coat rack, she slid it on and zipped it up, bringing the hood up over her head. Looking out the window, she watched the snow fall lightly. Her lips pursed into a narrow line. She liked the look of pristine white snow, but she hated dealing with it. She hated shoveling snow, hated driving in it, hated the way it looked when the cars drove through it and left it a brown and watery sludge. Ari herself was more partial to spring; she was born in May, and she loved the rain. Being so far away from the Pacific Northwest, whenever it rained, it made her think of home._

 _She locked up and made her way down the stairs, jamming her hands in her pockets to keep them warm. She walked briskly, a smile on her face. It was cold, but it was a beautiful night, and the moon looked so bright. Ari couldn't help but take in every detail of her surroundings on her way to the bowling alley._

 _"Ari!"_

 _Up ahead, she spotted Chris standing with a big group of people, dressed in blue jeans and a hooded sweatshirt with the Wu-Tang Clan logo on the front. She recognized a few of the people with him – Chuck Taylor, Danny Havoc, Drake Younger, Eddie Kingston. The one woman with them she vaguely recognized. "You remember the guys, and this here is Gen," Chris told her. She shook hands with everyone. "Should we go in?"_

 _"We're still waiting on Gulak," Chuck announced. He was dressed in a red T-shirt and blue jeans, his hair brushed down. He looked around the parking lot for any sign of Drew's car._

 _"He should be here any minute. He said he just had something to take care of," Ari told the group._

 _"There he is. I see him," Drake told them. Ari turned to see Drew making his way through the cars, making his way over towards them. He moved quickly, his hands jammed in his pockets._

 _"Hey, guys. Sorry, I'm late," Drew apologized. He bumped fists with everyone. "We ready to do this?"_

 _"Should we make teams?" Gen asked. Her red hair was tied back in a ponytail, she wore dark blue jeans and a red parka. Her flowing black top peeked out from the bottom._

 _"Sure. You wanna be the captain of the other team?" Chris asked her._

 _"I could."_

 _"Ladies first," Chris told her._

 _"Eddie."_

 _"Ari, bring it here," Chris told her. She shot a look at Drew and joined Chris._

 _"This might be the first time I've ever been picked first for a team," she laughed._

 _"Drake."_

 _Ari nudged Chris. He looked over at her and smiled. "I guess she's made the choice for me. Get over here, Gulak."_

 _Drew grinned at Ari and took his place with her. Gen looked at the remaining people. "Danny."_

 _"I guess that leaves me. Ouch," Chuck said, taking his place with Ari, Drew, and Chris._

 _"Let's go do this," Chris said, clapping his hands together. Gen grinned._

 _"Good call getting the medic on your team. You're gonna need her after we mop the floor with you." Ari's eyes widened. The guys laughed. Drew held the door open for everyone to walk through._

 _"You got anything for that sick burn?" Drake asked. Ari shook her head._

 _"I'm not packing the kit tonight. It's everyone for themselves," Ari told him with a laugh. She was the last to walk inside. Drew followed behind her, allowing the door to shut behind them._

 _"How did your midterms go?" he asked her, falling into step beside her._

 _"Brutal. Absolutely brutal. But I think I did okay," she confessed. "I think I passed, at least."_

 _"I'm glad you're here," he told her._

 _"For real?"_

 _"Yeah. If you're as bad as you say you are, I'm not gonna be the worst one here," he told her. She laughed._

 _"Thanks a lot."_

 _"We'll be terrible together. How does that sound?"_

 _"Like a plan."_

* * *

 **"** **So... _that_ is the famous Ari I've heard so much about**."

Drew dropped his bag beside the bed and looked over at Tony, who was resting against the headboard, his ankles crossed. He was already in his grey checkered pajama pants and a black sleeveless shirt, his hair brushed out of his face. Straightening his posture, Drew turned his attention to Tony, his face contorting. "The one and only," he answered dryly. The two men fell quiet. Tony watched Drew just stand between the two beds as if his brain had completely stopped. He noticed that his friend looked lost, like he had no idea what he was supposed to do next.

"Do you wanna talk about it?" Tony asked. With a sigh, Drew sat down on his bed. Tony readjusted so he was sitting across from Drew. He studied Drew, the way his hands gripped the mattress tightly, the expression on his face as his brain tried to string together the right words to say.

"Dude, I don't even know," Drew started. "I am so confused right now." He shook his head. "Like, the most logical thing I should be feeling is angry, and I should be angry. I should be _furious_ with her. After everything she put me through – the sleepless nights, the anxiety..." He cut himself off and took a deep breath. "I should be grabbing her by the shoulders and shaking the shit out of her for the last six years. And then she shows up, out of the blue, no warning, and I'm just so fucking happy to see her that everything I said I'd do just flew out the window. I mean, is there something wrong with me? Am I totally losing it?"

Tony studied Drew, his lips thinned into a line. Drew was as laid-back as it got; to see him so bothered and rattled was a strange sight. He couldn't ever recall a time where he'd seen Drew so upset. Drew looked at Tony, and he read the conflicting emotions in his eyes. He'd met Drew shortly after Ari's departure on an indie show, and he'd spoken of her so often over the years. Everything around him seemed to remind him of her in some way, shape, or form, especially in Philly. The picture he'd painted for Tony had been beautiful, yet heartbreaking because Tony knew that she had left him behind. Drew never spoke of the circumstances, only mentioning a time or two that he missed having her around.

"So...you're angry that you aren't angry? Am I reading this right?" he asked. With a sigh, Drew put his hands over his face and moved them over his head, ruffling his hair.

"I don't even know, man."

"What exactly happened with her?"

"I don't know. She just left. Six years ago, she just up and left without a word. She cut me out, and now she's one floor above us, and I don't know if I should just leave her alone, or if I should just go to her and shake the hell out of her and ask her what the hell she was thinking." Drew stood. He started to pace. "We were the best of friends. I mean, at least I thought we were. I don't know—maybe in the end, I didn't know her as well as I thought I did."

"Have you asked her why she left?"

"She doesn't have a good answer," Drew said with a roll of his eyes, sitting down on the bed. "I mean, she's right – there isn't really an answer she can give me that I think I'll be happy with. Ari's a smart girl – she definitely knows that. It's just...when she left...I went away for a weekend, and when I came back, she was so depressed. She was in such a bad place, and she wasn't talking. I tried everything I could, but I couldn't pull her out of it. I mean, I tried so hard. She talked about leaving constantly, but I didn't take her seriously. I mean, who can just up and leave a life?"

"She did." Drew looked at Tony, a little taken aback, but he nodded.

"Somehow she did it. And she did it under my nose. I didn't have a clue." Drew got up and started pacing again. "I mean, I can have a million suspicions about what happened, but I don't know. She's never told me. At this rate, she probably never will."

"Relax. You're going to pace a hole in the floor at this rate," Tony pointed out. Drew stopped, turning to Tony and releasing a sigh.

"Maybe I should just go for a walk around the block," he said. "I've got all this energy now. If I don't burn it off, I'm just going to be up all night."

"Do what you gotta do, man. I'm just gonna catch up on some scores and call it a night." Drew was already making his way to the desk to grab a key-card. He left quickly.

Tony swung his legs onto the bed and adjusted so he was comfortable. Reaching for the remote, he huffed. "That guy's still got it so bad," he mused to himself. He turned on the TV and let himself get distracted.

* * *

 **Back in the safety of her hotel room, Ari leaned back against the door and released a choked sob.**

Once again they were together, one floor apart, but both Ari and Drew knew that things were different now. While he insisted to Ari that he didn't hate her, Ari knew the cold hard truth was that he was livid with her at the very least. She could sense it in the clipped, concise words he spoke and the small barbs he'd tossed out during the course of the evening to drive home the fact that she had messed up spectacularly. She had been selfish, incredibly selfish, and with six years away and plenty of time to think about things on the flight, she knew that she had to bear the consequences that came with her actions. Even worse than being selfish, she had been reckless with people's feelings. It wasn't like her to be so myopic and egotistical, but six years ago, she had been exactly that. At the time, she may have convinced herself that she was doing the right thing for everyone, but at the time she was so far down in her hole that she failed to see it wasn't her decision to make for anyone, especially Drew.

She slid down the door, to the floor, and sat with her head leaned back against the door while she sniffled and wept softly. Ari knew she had made a mess of things, and she felt terrible. While she knew that she would be heading home in six weeks, she knew that during her time with Bryan and Brie, she was going to have to face the music for the decisions she'd made on her way out of the country.

Her phone went off in her bra strap, startling her out of her pity party. Reaching into her dress, she pulled the phone out and saw it was Bryan calling. She took a moment to catch her breath, wiping her eyes with her fingers. After she caught her breath, she answered the phone and forced a smile on her face even though Bryan couldn't see through the phone. "Hey," she greeted, trying to sound as cheerful as she could.

"Hey, Ari. Just calling to make sure you made it back to the hotel okay."

"Oh, yeah. Drew drives like an old woman. Some things never change. No danger whatsoever."

"I'm glad to hear that," he told her with a laugh. They fell silent. "Are you all right? You seem off."

"I'm fine. Just jet-lagged. You of all people should know how that is."

"That I do." He laughed again. "Brie and I should be there around eight-thirty tomorrow morning. I wanted earlier, but she's telling me I should let you get some rest since you had a long day." She could tell he wasn't all that happy about having to wait around for Ari.

"I could just give you a call when I wake up. I doubt I'll be sleeping past eight. I can give you a call and when you're on your way I'll make sure I have everything ready to go."

"Sounds like a plan." There was another pause. "It's good to see you home, Ari. I've missed you."

She felt the familiar lump in her throat. Blinking back a fresh batch of tears, she smiled sadly and nodded. "I've missed you, too."

"Go get some rest. I'll see you in the morning, Ari. Love you."

"Love you, too." They said their goodbyes and hung up. Pulling herself off the floor, Ari crossed the room to her bag on the bed. She placed her cell phone on the nightstand beside the alarm clock before she started rifling through the bag for a pair of pajamas. She settled on a pair of black and pink shorts and a black tank top. Changing quickly, she dropped the dirty clothing off to the side in her bag, trying her best to keep it separate from her clean clothes. While she was thankful the night was over, Ari's mind was far too busy to let her rest peacefully and she knew it.

"Of course," she grumbled to herself, tying her hair back in a low ponytail.

With a sigh, she turned to the small coffee area and decided to brew herself a cup of tea. She had a book in her bag that she'd been reading for weeks. Looking at the clock, she let her shoulders sag. It was after one in the morning; she knew eight would come quickly, but there was no way she could sleep when her nerves were so frayed. While she waited for the water to heat up, all she could think about was the man downstairs, the one person on the planet she'd hurt so badly, which had been the last thing she'd wanted. All she ever wanted was for him to be happy, the way he had made her happy for so many years by being the perfect shoulder to lean on, the dependable friend in spite of a schedule that took him all over the world, the friend who always knew what to do in any given situation, who always tried to shield her from terrible things. It was a horrible way to thank him for his friendship. But she thought – and still thought – his life would be better if she stayed far away from it.

* * *

 **Drew walked out of the hotel, releasing a relaxed sigh as the cold air hit him smack in the face.** It was a beautiful clear night, a handful of stars glittering in the sky. He stood in front, staring up at them, taking in every detail. Jamming his hands into his pockets, he began to walk out of the parking lot, stopping for a couple minutes to sign an autograph for a couple fans who recognized him. Then, he was on his way for a walk, to where he didn't know.

The last thing he had expected was to open the door to find Ari standing on the other side. He wanted to believe she would come back into his orbit at some point, but as the years passed, it was getting harder to believe it would happen. Every time he drove down the street where her old apartment was located, he was always hit with a pang of sadness. Every time he went somewhere they used to hang, he couldn't help but think of those times.

In their time together, she'd opened up to him, told him things about herself that she'd never told anyone else, things that nobody outside of her and Bryan's family knew. It had taken him _years_ to get her to open up, and when she had trusted him enough to do it, it had meant everything. Not even two and a half years later, she was gone.

Drew wasn't a stupid man; he had his suspicions at what, or _who,_ could have driven her to just pack up her life in America and head to another country. He had a feeling he knew who was responsible for her going off-the-grid, who was responsible for her cutting him out of her life. For years he'd wanted to ask what exactly happened when he went away for that one weekend in 2011, but nobody talked about it. When she'd left, people had been surprised, but Drew had been devastated.

He came to a stop at the crosswalk. It had been so strange at the party, watching her tense every time he got close, watching her shrink when she thought he was going to touch her. She had never been like that before. What was her life like now? Was she afraid of _him_? The thought of her being afraid of him threw him for a loop. Sure, he was angry – as far as he was concerned, he had every right to be angry – but he would never do anything to physically hurt her. She knew that...right?

With a sigh, he crossed the street. He came upon a park two blocks from the hotel, and he decided to stop in and take a look around.

In the time she'd been gone, even as it seemed more and more unlikely, he'd thought about what he'd say to her if she were ever in front of him again. Some days he was more empathetic, other days he was downright furious. It never occurred to him until she left that everything would remind him of her.

But she showed up in front of him, in that dress, her voice launching him into another time and place, a time when things had been far simpler, and all of the hard feelings he had been harboring disappeared for some time. She still remembered their handshake, a handshake they'd spent a lot of time coming up with because she wanted something that was just for the two of them.

Sure, he was still angry. But he was frustrated that he wasn't as angry as he had been a year ago, or even two months before, because being happy to see her made no sense after she chose to disappear. But he had been so happy to see her, so happy to feel her in his arms again and so happy to hear her laugh. Her nervousness also had a way of dissolving his anger, dulling it to an ebb that came out in sarcastic comments during the night. He knew that she could pick up on it; she was quite sensitive. It was what made him want to watch over her in the first place. There was something about her that made him want to protect her.

"Protect her," Drew muttered to himself angrily. "That's all you had to do. Then you went and fell in love with her."


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter Four**

* * *

 _ **2006**_

 _In the months since Chris had asked Ari if she would be interested in volunteering her first aid services once a month at CZW shows, Ari found that Drew was one of her favorite people to be around. Sure, he was a little on the super professional and stuffy side, but he was also one of the friendliest people in the building, always quick to shake everyone's hand and always double-checking to see if Ari had everything she needed to do her job. She had her suspicions that his focus on her was on Bryan's orders, but she never asked and he never told. She supposed she should ask one day, but she wanted to believe that he hung around with her because he wanted to, and not because he had been asked._

 _She arrived at the CZW on a sweltering day in August, killing the ignition with a grimace. Earlier in the morning, Drew had sent her a text before his class started to warn her that the air conditioner in the building was broken. It promised to be a miserable night for everyone inside the building. Ari had dressed accordingly, in dark blue denim jean shorts and a black Star Wars tank top that read "A Woman's Place is in the Resistance". She had tied her hair back into a fluffy ponytail, a stray curl framing her cosmetic-free face. Ari grabbed her bag out of the passenger's seat and slid it over her giant suede bag, filled with her phone, wallet, keys, a medical textbook, and first aid kit. She was hoping to get a chance to_ _do some reading_ _during the show, between treating minor scrapes, bruises and cleaning open wounds._

 _Slinging her bag over her shoulder, Ari locked up her car and shut the door behind her. With a smile on her face and a bounce in her step, she made her way to the door. It was early in the day, a bit too early for her to be there since the show didn't start for hours, but she had been going stir-crazy in her little apartment. It was a day where she felt like she needed to get out of the house and do something._

 _Pulling himself off the canvas, Drew's attention was immediately diverted by the door opening. Hands on his hips, a smile tugged at the corners of his mouth when he saw Ari walk inside with her trusty bag. While it was a surprise to see her at the building so early, her presence was a welcome one to Drew. His eyes falling on her shirt, he grinned. She gave him a curt wave, making her way down the open space between the chairs._

 _"Hey. You're here early," he greeted, approaching the edge of the ring. He leaned forward, allowing his forearms to rest on the top rope. His hair was mussed and slicked; underneath the lights, his skin shone with sweat. He was dressed in a CZW T-shirt and red basketball shorts._

 _"I am. I was feeling a bit stir-crazy at home," she confessed, coming to a stop at the ring. "You look like you just ran a marathon."_

 _"I feel like it," he told her_ _with a laugh._

 _"What are you doing in there all by yourself?"_

 _"Class broke for the day," he replied._

 _"And with a few hours to spare before the show starts. How_ ever _are you going to kill time?" she teased. He grinned at her. He had been happy when Chris mentioned she was going to become a fixture behind the scenes. Every month when she showed up, he noticed that the environment felt a little brighter. He thought she was a ray of human sunshine because she always seemed to arrive with a smile on her face and a kind word for everyone. While Drew and Ari didn't get together as much as they would have liked due to their busy schedules, whenever they connected, it was impossible for the two of them to not have fun._

 _"_ _There's always extra things to do around here. I'm just feeling extra spry today," he told her. Ari's laugh was loud and infectious. Drew flashed her a wide grin. Her laughter stopped when she saw the look on his face._

 _"What are you thinking?"_

 _"Come on in here."_

 _"What?" The smile faded. She made a face. "You're kidding."_

 _"Nope. Dead serious." Pushing himself off the rope, he walked into the middle of the ring, holding his arms out wide. "Come on. Come on in here. I don't bite. I promise."_

 _"_ _You haven't yet, anyway," she conceded. She looked at the ring, her face crinkling. "I think I'm good."_

 _"Come on. Humour a fella, would you?"_

 _Drew smiled when she released a dramatic sigh and placed her suede bag on a chair. With a roll of her eyes, she walked up the steps. Drew held open the bottom and middle rope for her to get inside as a gentleman would. Once she was inside, she walked to the middle of the ring and stared out at the empty chairs,_ _taking in the view from the other side of the ropes. From where she stood, she couldn't help but wonder how Drew and Bryan didn't get stage fright. The space around them seemed so big when it was empty._

 _Sensing she was deep in thought, Drew took his place beside her. "You ever think about doing this?"_

 _"Sure. I mean, when I was young and dumb." She looked over at him. "There was a time when I wanted to do everything that Bryan was doing. I wanted to be just like him." She sighed. "But...I mean...what I'm going to say isn't a knock on you or your choices, so please don't take offense, but...this is a life of no guarantees. I'm not really into that. I'm kinda looking for stability."_

 _"No offense taken," he told her. "I know there's no guarantee, but I still love it. I'm hoping one day to head overseas and wrestle in Japan and Europe and pick up on some of the styles they have over there. Getting to wrestle in Japan would be a huge boost to my wrestler cred, so it's definitely a goal right now."_

 _"A true student of the game," she observed with a smile._

 _"If you're gonna do this, you can't half-ass it," he told her. Crossing her arms over her chest, Ari turned to Drew._

 _"So, now that you've got me in here, Sensei, what am I supposed to do? Do I climb to the top rope now or later?"_

 _"I sure hope you're kidding," he told her sternly. She knew that he was kidding with her, but in their time together, she learned he could deadpan like nobody she had ever met before. "What do I always say?"_

 _"Safe and sound, feet on the ground," she said with a sigh and a roll of her eyes. He laughed. "So...what did you bring me in for, then?"_

 _"I'll start you with the basics. We'll stretch, and then we'll run the ropes a bit."_

 _"You're kidding."_

 _"Why not?" Drew shot her a look. "I may as well show you a thing or two while I've got the time and space."_

 _Ari snorted. "Sure. I mean, you never know when you need to break out an Irish Whip to get the edge in a bar fight," she quipped. He shot her a chagrined look, the smile on his face quickly destroying the facade. She raised her hands in mock surrender. "All right, all right. I'm in. Tell me what I need to do."_

 _"First we are going to stretch. I'm not trying to get you hurt. So just follow me, and then we'll do the drills."_

 _"You know it's like a hundred degrees in here, right?"_

 _"I'll take you for ice cream after the show." Ari huffed, her hands on her hips._

 _"You sure drive a hard bargain."_

 _After they stretched, she watched him bounce off the ropes a few times before she joined in. Drew's cardio was obviously better than hers, and it wasn't long before she had to stop and catch her breath in the middle of the ring. Drew came to a stop beside her, his hands on his hips and a wide grin on his face._

 _"Anyone ever tell you you're a natural at this?" he asked. She snorted._

 _"Nope, because this is my first time in a ring," she huffed. She straightened, trying to ignore the stitch in her side. "How the hell are you...?"_

 _"I've been doing this for a while now, Ari."_

 _"I can see that. I think I'm gonna stop. You still owe me ice cream."_

 _"A deal's a deal," he told her with a nod. "I need to get out of here anyway and go over some stuff with the guys. Thanks for humoring me. We should do this again sometime."_

 _"Maybe in the winter when it's colder."_

 _"I'm gonna hold you to that."_

 _Drew was the first one to get out of the ring. He could see she was having a bit of trouble maneuvering out of the ring, so he stepped in to assist her. He held out his hands and let her jump down into them, steadying her when she landed on the floor. Ari felt herself flare up at the contact with him, and nobody made a move to get out of their position for a few moments. Finally, it was Drew who broke the hold on her. He flashed her a smile. "How's work going?" he asked her._

 _"Same old, same old. I can't believe I'm saying this, but I can't wait until classes start up again. Two and a half more weeks," she told him._

 _"How many more years do you have?"_

 _"Five or six, I think. I don't know. It's too hot to think," she lamented. He smirked._

 _"What are you doing tomorrow?" he asked._

 _"I work until four-thirty. After that, I've got no plans. Why?"_

 _"Would you want to get together and do a Star Wars marathon? I got the whole series..."_

 _"I got the original cut on an old-school VHS if you want to come over and watch_ that _. How long has it been since you've seen the first draft?" she asked with a laugh._

 _"It's been a while," he confessed. "That sounds like a better plan. Can I bring anything?"_

 _"Just yourself. Just...give me until about five or five-thirty so I can unwind a bit."_

 _"Of course," he told her. "If I can bring anything, let me know."_

 _"I will." The two of them made their way towards the back._

 _"If you run out of anything tonight, let me know, okay?"_

 _"I will, but I brought extra stuff tonight. I'm not getting caught like I did last month." She cringed, recalling how she had run out of simple things like gauze, wipes, and Band-Aids._

 _Drew and Ari stopped in front of the room that was set up for her to conduct what Drew liked to joke were her "medical experiments". The two of them bumped fists. "Good luck out there tonight. Don't get hurt."_

 _"I'll be fine," he assured her. "But I know if something happens, I'm in good hands."_

 _"You're too good for my ego."_

 _"I only speak the truth. I'll catch you later." She nodded and walked into the room to set up her equipment. With a smile on his face, Drew went to look over the show._

* * *

 **"** **Incoming.** Two o'clock."

"Huh?"

Drew rubbed the sleep out of his eyes and put his sunglasses back on to shield himself from the light in the crowded restaurant. First thing in the morning, Drew was dressed casually in a Philadelphia Eagles T-shirt and blue jeans. He was with Tony, the two of them waiting on Noam Dar, Brian, and Jack. The plan was for the five of them to have breakfast together before they all went to the airport to go to their respective homes.

Across from Drew, Tony sat in a grey muscle shirt and black basketball shorts, his eyes exhausted, his smile full of amusement. With a yawn, Drew turned his head, his body jolting and the sound of his yawn dying with a weird noise as his eyes fell on Ari standing in the doorway. She didn't notice the guys, but she still looked visibly uncomfortable. Dressed in a pair of dark blue jeans and a black shirt underneath a long black and white cardigan, she kept her arms crossed over her chest as if she were cold. Her hair was pulled back from her face in a low ponytail. From where he sat, Drew could see on her face that she had slept about as well as he had.

With a defeated sigh, he raised his arm to draw her attention while Tony did everything he could to not smile wider. When she spotted him, he saw her freeze. He offered her a tight smile and waved her over. There was still plenty of room at their table – the trio of Brian, Jack, and Noam were running late, a surprise to both men at the table, since Drew was the one in their group that was notorious for running late in the mornings.

Ari made her way through the maze of tables slowly, her arms staying in place, crossed over her chest. Drew stood as she got close, greeting her with a hug. She hugged him back softly. "Good morning," he greeted. He felt her nod against him. Releasing his embrace, he turned her in Tony's direction. "You remember Tony from last night," he stated, motioning to the man known as "The Premiere Athlete" lamely. She nodded once more.

"I do. Good morning," she told him softly.

"Good morning, Ari," Tony told her. He shifted in the booth. "Have a seat. Did you want to join us for breakfast?"

Ari sat down beside Ari, while Drew took his place across the table from her. "I can't stay for too long. Bryan and Brie are going to be here pretty soon. I just came down to see if I could get a decent cup of coffee. The stuff in the room seems to have the taste and texture of motor oil."

"I thought it was just me this morning," Drew said with a grimace. They fell quiet as the waitress approached, a bright-eyed blonde with the name AMY written on her name-tag, positioned over her left breast. Everyone ordered another cup of coffee, while Drew explained they were still waiting for the rest of their table to arrive. She poured their coffees and left. Drew smiled when he saw her slide the sugar and creamer towards her mug. "The Chemist."

Her eyes flickered up at him. It had been a long time since someone had brought that up. A soft smile tugged at her mouth. "The more things change, the more they stay the same," she told him, opening the first packet of sugar to pour into her cup. Tony watched the two of them quietly, drinking his coffee, hiding his grin behind the white mug.

She worked on her coffee, sipping and adding. "So, what is happening?"

"I'm actually heading to Phoenix this week with Brie and Bryan. I'm gonna be heading back to Aberdeen after the taping loop next week." She shook her head. "This isn't the way I wanted to do things, but everyone is cool with it."

"You ever been to Phoenix?" he asked. She shook her head.

"I've never been to Arizona, period." Drew sipped his coffee. "I'm sure it'll be nice."

"It's fine," Tony assured her. "You'll be on the road next week?"

"Yeah, and then I'm heading back out to the Northwest. If I don't make it back out that way to see people, they might have my head on the way out," she said. Drew could hear the change in her voice, how quiet it got.

"Maybe when you're on the loop next week, we can meet for coffee," he told her. She looked at him, surprised, but she nodded. The smile she had on her face felt forced to Drew, but he knew that came with the discomfort she seemed to feel around him. Tony snorted. Drew shot him a chagrined look.

"That sounds good," she said quietly, sipping on her coffee. Her phone went off in her pocket and she quickly went for it. She scanned the caller ID and answered it. "Good morning, Bryan. Yeah. I'm just having a cup of coffee. How long do I have?" She listened quietly. "Perfect. See you then." She hung up her phone and Drew's eyes widened when she proceeded to quickly chug her coffee. Placing the empty cup down on the table, she stood. "I've gotta go. Bryan's gonna be here in about ten minutes, and I still need to grab my bags." Reaching into her wallet, before Drew could object, she dropped money for her coffee on the table. "I'll see you guys around. It was nice to see you again, Tony. Drew." The men said their goodbyes and then Ari was gone. With a sigh, Drew sipped his coffee.

"Did you two have a thing back in the day? Is that why things are so awkward?" Tony asked. Drew shook his head.

"No. Bryan would have gone ballistic in those days if he knew Ari was involved with one of the boys. He made that pretty clear from the first day I met him," Drew explained. He looked at the door, but Ari was long gone. "We were just really, really good friends."

"You could have fooled me."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"The way you two look at each other," Tony told him. "She seems afraid of you, and you look like you're pining. I just feel like I'm missing something here."

"Can we not do this when the hour is still in single digits?" Drew groaned, taking a big sip of his coffee.

* * *

 **Ari couldn't concentrate.**

Thirty-plus thousand feet in the air, seated in the aisle, Ari tried to read her book, but her eyes and her thoughts didn't want to focus. Instead of thinking about the week ahead, that was going to see her spending time with her brother and sister-in-law and getting to know her niece, Ari couldn't help but think about her morning coffee with Drew and Tony.

She was very much aware that not having an answer for him about why she left America wasn't acceptable to Drew. He could accept it at face value while she wept in the passenger's seat of his rental car, but she knew at some point he was probably going to want her explanation. She wasn't sure how valuable it was going to be six years after the fact, but there was a feeling steeped in her bones that it at least meant something to him. He still wanted an answer, it was clear as day on his face, but she wasn't ready to tell him. While her reasons felt valid at the time, she knew that there was a chance that it wouldn't be met with much empathy.

Staring blankly at her book, Ari thought about the eight-month period before she left, how depressed and withdrawn she had become. Drew had noticed it right away, almost as soon as he got back from his weekend of wrestling shows, and had made it his mission to try and pull her out, but it was to no avail. She'd always felt guilty that he was going out of his way so much to try and appease her, especially while his career was beginning to heat up and he was starting to achieve some of the goals he'd set for himself. For six years, he had been her rock, her right hand, and after a while, she started feeling like she was dragging him down and holding him back from living. He was a thoughtful, conscientious man, and she started believing that she was more of a hindrance than a help. An observant man, Drew always tried to talk to her about things, but she wouldn't tell him.

"You okay?"

Blinking, Ari came hurtling back to reality. She looked to her left, where Bryan sat beside her in the middle, dressed in a grey shirt underneath a red and white checkered shirt under a tan cardigan. Brie had the window seat, a black sleep mask over her eyes and giant headphones on her ears. Her head was leaned against the window. Birdie sat between Brie and Bryan, her head back against the seat, mouth wide open as she slept.

Ari forced a smile on her face and nodded. "Yeah. What makes you think that?" she asked.

"Because you've been zoned out on nothing for, like, three minutes," Bryan pointed out. Ari put her bookmark back into her book and shut it with a sigh. Bryan studied his sister, his expression softening. "What's happening? Did someone do something? What's going on?"

"Everything's fine. It's just...first time back in so long...it's a little overwhelming," she confessed. Bryan nodded.

"I can understand that."

"And despite the jet-lag, I didn't sleep so great last night," she told him honestly. She didn't mention that it was a byproduct of her time with Drew. "I'm all right. I promise."

"I'm sure you are. Forgive a brother for being concerned," he told her dramatically. She smiled.

"I didn't mean it like that. I appreciate it." She rested her head on his shoulder.

"It is a bit of a flight home. You could always try and catch up on your sleep here," he told her.

"I might try and do that. I don't think I'm going to get any reading done," she confessed. She stood and slipped her book back into her overhead bag before she sat down and curled into her brother.

"I didn't mean for you to use me as a pillow," Bryan told her.

"Then you shouldn't have told me to sleep." Bryan rolled his eyes, but internally he was just happy to have her home. She shut her eyes, hoping to try and get some rest, hoping that her brain would shut down and for a few hours she could stop thinking about Drew and the days before she left. All she wanted to do was rest; she knew that the next six weeks were going to be far more taxing than this.


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter Six**

* * *

 _ **2006**_

 _Ari lay alone on her secondhand couch, her body curled underneath a baby pink blanket that featured all five of the Sailor Scouts, her head rested on her black and red Harley Quinn throw pillow with diamond pattern. It was Christmas Eve, and her plans to make it home to Aberdeen and see her family had gone up in flames, thanks in large part to the blizzard outside. The east coast had been hit the night before, grounding every flight for the foreseeable future. Desperate, Ari had exhausted every option she could think of to try and get home in time for Christmas, but in the end, Mother Nature had proven to be a cruel mistress, forcing Ari to accept that for the second year in a row, she was going to have to spend Christmas alone._

 _She was devastated; while she could accept that the situation was beyond her control, it didn't offer her any comfort. All her plans had fallen apart. She had left the airport fighting back her tears, heartbroken that she would be all alone and disappointed in herself for not being able to handle the curve-ball "like an adult". All week long she had spent her time crunching for exams, taking tests and labs while maintaining her work schedule. She had exhausted herself more than she thought possible, all under the pretense of going home and eating her body weight in turkey and candy canes when it was over. She had spent the entire week telling herself that a break was coming, that she'd soon be back in her old bedroom, eating her mother's cooking. It had kept her spirits high during an incredibly stressful time._

 _As she drove home – carefully – from the airport, Ari decided that Christmas was canceled. Spending it alone for two years in a row gutted her in ways she hadn't counted on. Bypassing the holidays seemed like the only option. When she made it back to her apartment, she didn't bother plugging in the Christmas tree, or any of the lights that ran along the living room/kitchen walls. Instead, she dropped her suitcase in the doorway by the shoe rack, kicked off her boots, hung up her jacket on the hook and made a beeline for the couch. It was where she had spent the last sixteen hours of her life, bundled up under her fleece blanket, unwilling to move._

 _All alone, she tried not to feel bitter that everyone she knew was having a good holiday, that everyone was spending time with their families. She knew it was going to be hard to get the phone call from her mother in the morning, wishing her a merry Christmas. Alone, she allowed herself to wallow and pout because nobody could see her. Outside, the snow continued to fall in big white flakes, and it showed no sign of slowing down. Ari could see it falling from the window behind the TV, not caring about the conditions outside. She knew that she wouldn't care about it until she had to go out in it. It was her plan to call her job on December twenty-seventh and let them know she was home and available; stuck at home, she saw no reason to take the time off._

 _It was just after five when she began to doze off. As her eyes began to close, she was startled awake by the sound of loud knocking at her door. With an agitated groan and a brief thought of ignoring it, Ari pulled herself off the couch, pulling the blanket around her shoulders and holding it to her chest. She padded across the room to the door. Looking through the peephole, she shook her head and unlocked the door. Flinging it open, she found Drew standing on the other side, bundled up like he was about to go hiking in the mountains. Dressed in a blue parka zipped up to the chin, he held two grocery bags in his right hand. Ari stared at him and sighed._

 _"What are you doing here?" she asked dryly with a yawn._

 _"_ _Are you going to let me in?" he shot back. "It's freezing out here!"_

 _With a nod, Ari stood to the side and allowed him access to her apartment. He put the bags down beside her suitcase and took the black gloves off his hands, jamming them into the pocket of his jacket. She watched him unzip his parka and take it off, revealing an orange Philadelphia Flyers sweater. He hung the coat on the rack with hers before he kicked off his black boots, his hand on the wall to support himself._

 _"_ _What are you doing here?" she repeated._

 _"Well..." he started, picking up his boots. He moved past her to arrange them neatly on the rack beside hers. "I knew you were supposed to fly out last night, but when I saw the snow this morning and watched the news, I started thinking that you probably didn't make it. When you didn't return any of my messages, I just knew you were still here." He quit talking and took in her appearance, the rumpled clothing, the wild hair, and the red-rimmed, swollen eyes. "Holy shit, Ari, you look terrible," he blurted._

 _Ari opened her mouth to speak, but she only managed to surprise the both of them by bursting into tears. Turning, she moved to walk away, to cry alone in her room, where she could put a door between them and die of embarrassment alone. Instantly sheepish, Drew rushed after her, catching up quickly. Grabbing her shoulders gently, he turned her to face him, pulling her into his embrace. He hugged her tightly. "Shit, Ari, I'm sorry," he offered quickly. "I wasn't thinking. My mouth got ahead of my brain. I didn't mean to..."_

 _"No...no...it's okay. It's fine," she assured him. "I just...I miss them so much..."_

 _"I know," he told her, his lips pursed together in a bemused smile. He did know; going home to her family was all she had been talking about for a month. Most of their text messages involved her mentioning the arrangements she had to make. He knew that Ari was on a tight schedule, that she was super busy, and he knew that spending Christmas with her family was probably the carrot she had been dangling in front of herself to get through everything. While she never stated it explicitly to him, he knew that she was lonely. She had to be; she was a coast away from everyone she knew and loved. On the east coast, all she seemed to do was go to school, work, and sleep._

 _Pulling away from her, he flashed her the most reassuring smile he could give her. "I know it's not the same as Bryan and your family, but I thought I'd keep you company tonight."_

 _"How bad is it out there?" she asked._

 _"It's pretty bad," he told her. "You wouldn't believe how many people I saw stuck on the side of the road on my way over. I helped dig a few people out, and I had a few close calls myself. It's insane." He looked around her minimal apartment, noticing that none of her lights were plugged in. "But, I made it."_

 _"If they don't get the roads cleared tonight, you're more than welcome to stay," she told him. She shook her head. "You shouldn't have risked getting stuck out there. You shouldn't be here with me." Ari's voice was quiet. Drew studied her, the words she spoke bouncing around inside his head._

 _"Oh. I get it," he replied, his shoulders sagging. "It's the Jewish thing."_

 _"What? No!" Drew bit back a laugh at the expression on her face. "You should be with your family..."_

 _"_ _Tomorrow. Tonight, I'm here." The sadness in her eyes made his heart crack. "I get it. You don't have to say it - I know you don't think I'm the right guy for the job – but, like, how hard can Christmas be?" She couldn't help but offer a weak laugh. A few weeks before, at the Christmas themed CZW show, he'd mentioned that he had taken part in some Christmas traditions growing up, something he was grateful for since it didn't leave him feeling like the odd kid out during the holidays. He'd arrived at the CZW show with a Dreidel, ready to teach a few people how to play. Drake Younger had talked everyone into wagering some money on the game, and in the end – she still wasn't sure if it was beginner's luck, or if she was just that good – Ari had walked away with almost forty dollars._ _Drew hadn't heard the end of it since._

 _"Drew..."_

 _"Ari..." Moving over to the bags, he lifted them with ease and walked into her kitchen, placing them on the counter. She followed behind him, leaning against the wall. "I wasn't sure how prepared you were since you weren't planning on being here. I've got some mint hot chocolate, some apple cider, and I picked up something for dinner. It's not turkey, but we'll make it work." He looked over at her and cleared his throat. "There's also something in the bag for you to open tomorrow morning."_

 _"Drew..."_

 _"I know, I know. I didn't have to. I wanted to. It's not much, but I wrapped it myself." He turned and smiled at her, leaning against the counter. He shook his head. "Seriously, Ari, have you been crying since last night? Because you look like you've been through it." She didn't have to answer him; they both knew the truth. Drew cocked his head. "Go take a shower, make yourself comfortable. I'll get dinner started."_

 _"_ _I can help..." she started, but he held up a hand to silence her._

 _"You can, but I've got this. Go take care of yourself. I'm not going anywhere."_

 _Knowing better than to argue with him, Ari pushed herself off the wall and went to her bedroom to gather her most comfortable, fleeciest pajamas. She walked out of the room, past the kitchen to get to the bathroom. Ari stole a glance at Drew, who was standing at the stove with his back to her. She saw a foil-wrapped loaf of garlic bread on the counter. She walked into her small bathroom and dropped her pajamas on the counter. Looking at her reflection in the mirror, it was hard to argue with Drew's assessment. With a sigh, she got the water ready and stripped, throwing her clothing into the small hamper in the corner._

 _The shower was as hot as she could stand it, the hot water soothing on her skin. She was touched that he had thought of her, but she wished he'd stayed home, that he hadn't risked his safety. When she emerged from the shower, dressed in her blue fleece pajamas with the snowflake pattern, the first thing she noticed was the smell of lasagne in the oven. She found Drew on the couch, watching The Grinch. He turned his head as she approached, offering her a smile. "Feeling better?" he asked._

 _"_ _A bit," she answered. He shifted so she could sit down beside him on the couch._

 _"Dinner's going to be ready in about forty-five minutes," he told her. They fell quiet for a moment. "I'm sorry. I know this isn't really how you imagined your holiday..."_

 _She wrapped her arms around his neck and hugged him tightly. Words failed her, so the gesture was the best she could do. He could smell the coconut and mint in her hair from the shampoo and conditioner she used. He wrapped an arm around her waist and hugged her as best he could from his position. "Thank you," she said against him softly, blinking back tears._

 _"Don't even worry about it," he told her. "It's what friends do. I'm just sorry everything went sideways."_

 _She pulled back, wiping at her eyes, embarrassed by her show of emotion. He rearranged the Sailor Moon blanket to cover her lap. Looking out the window behind her TV, he grimaced at the snow. "It doesn't want to stop," she told him._

 _"Do you have supplies if the power goes out?" he asked. She nodded._

 _"Of course. There's a Tote in my bedroom closet that's full of supplies," she told him. "Do you keep anything like that?"_

 _"Not a Tote, but I've got some supplies," he told her. "You kind of get used to it out here." He draped his arm across the back of the couch and made himself comfortable. He cleared his throat. "If you aren't busy tomorrow, Ari, my parents are doing a dinner at their place. You're more than welcome to come out..."_

 _"I couldn't..."_

 _"Yes, you could." He looked over at her. "I don't want you to spend the day by yourself, depressed. They'll be fine with it if that's what you're worried about. I don't want you to sit alone with your nose in a textbook, either."_

 _"_ _You don't have to worry about that," she assured him with a laugh. She adjusted herself so she could comfortably rest her head against his shoulder. "I have no plans to pick up a book, period, until I go back to school." His arm came down to drape around her shoulders. She smiled. "The Grinch is my favorite."_

 _"Really? I never would have thought that."_

 _"No? What did you think?"_

 _"_ _I don't know. Frosty, or Rudolph, or something like that."_

 _"I like those, too. But I love The Grinch. I love Little Cindy Lou Who..." She trailed off, sniffing. "Dinner smells amazing."_

 _"It's just store-bought," he told her. "I'm not that kind of a cook."_

 _She laughed. "Thank you. It means a lot that you're here."_

 _"You don't have to thank me. If I weren't here, I'd probably be doing this at home by myself. The company is nice," he told her. He moved his arm, forcing her to move. "I'm gonna check on dinner."_

 _"Can I help?"_

 _"Nope. You just relax." With a shake of her head, she pulled the covers up to her chin and readjusted. He watched her for a moment, smiling before he went to the kitchen. While she was still extremely depressed that she wasn't going to make it out to her family, the fact that she wasn't going to be alone made her feel like everything wasn't lost._

* * *

 **"Great stuff today, guys, but it's looking like we're out of time. Class dismissed."**

With a smile and a clap of his hands, wrestling training for the day came to an end. Drew watched his exhausted students, a mix of men and women – mostly men – leave the ring, a few of them talking about the plans they had later on in the evening. Leaned against the ropes on the far side of the ring, dressed in black basketball shorts and his For A Better Combat Zone T-shirt, Drew watched them disperse to the locker rooms to shower and change before resuming their normal lives. It was his plan to do the same; after he was cleaned up and changed, his plans involved going to the movies with his brother. He knew it was a feeble attempt to get his mind off things, but he was hoping it would work.

Drew got out of the ring, wincing when he jumped from the apron to the floor. During training, he'd tweaked his ribs while showing someone how to do an Octopus Stretch. It was nothing serious, nothing two Advil tablets and some ice wouldn't fix, but in the meantime, it was uncomfortable, comparable to a stitch in his side. Walking over to a steel folding chair in the front row, Drew began working at the tape on his wrists. He looked up when the door opened, his attention moving back to his wrist when he saw it was only his brother, dressed in jeans and a T-shirt underneath a grey tweed blazer. He wore a baseball cap and runners.

"Hey," Rory greeted, weaving his way through the chairs.

"Hey."

"Class just get out?" Rory asked. Drew nodded. Rory threw his hands up. "Well, damn. That sucks. I was hoping to crash it. You know, show the kids how we do things on the top rope."

"Well, you'll just have to show up earlier tomorrow. Step your game up, little brother." Rory laughed. Drew quit working on the tape long enough to slap hands with his brother. He returned to his task, pulling the tape away from his wrist. "I'm gonna be a bit. I still need to shower and change, and then we can go."

"That's fine. I'm not in any rush." Rory sat down on a chair across the aisle. "I just wanted to see how you're doing. Are you good?"

Drew quit what he was doing, the tape hanging off his wrist. Looking over at his brother, he sighed after a moment. "Dude, I've got no idea. Shit is weird right now. It's been a long few days, and I haven't been able to make heads or tails of any part of it."

"I can imagine." They fell quiet. "Where has she been?"

"She says around. Apparently, she lives in Honduras, but right now she's out in Phoenix with her brother." Drew dropped the tape from his left wrist on the chair and began working on the right. "I've been talking to her on and off all week, but I dunno...things just feel really weird right now, you know?"

"I'd be concerned if they weren't," Rory told him. "Did she say why she left?"

"She's not talking about that right now."

"Why the hell not?"

"I don't know."

"Did you ask?"

"Of course I asked. She says there's no good answer she can give me."

"That's a cop-out."

"Yeah, but it's true, too, so there's that." Drew huffed. "Still...it's just weird. She acts like she's afraid of me now."

"Afraid of you?" Rory was incredulous. Drew nodded. "That doesn't sound like her at all."

Drew shoved the tape to the floor and sat down across from his brother. "It's all fucked up. I've spent a long time thinking about everything I'd say to her when I saw her, and now I can't even find it in me to be angry. I'm more happy to see her than anything else."

"Is she still the way we remember her?"

"Yeah. But her hair is straight now. I'm kind of bummed about that." Drew continued at pulling the tape off his wrists. "There's a bit more muscle on her now, but otherwise she's the same. Just a bit older and wiser, like all of us."

"Some of us," Rory corrected. Drew looked up at him, eyes narrowing.

"Don't make me hurt you."

"You're gonna keep pushing for some kind of answer, right? I mean, at the very least she owes you an explanation," Rory pointed out. Drew sighed.

"She doesn't really owe me anything," Drew told him. Rory was incredulous. Drew continued working on the tape. "She was in a bad place when she left. You know that, and I know that. I don't know – maybe asking her to go back and relive that period of time is too much."

"With the way she left, though? I'm sorry, man, but the way I see it – she owes you an explanation."

Drew gathered the tape off the floor and stood. "I'm gonna go clean up. We got time before the movie, right?"

"We have a ton of time. I thought we could go for dinner first. Have some bro time." Drew smirked.

"Sounds like a plan. I'll be right back." Drew left the ring area, his brain back to buzzing a hundred miles a minute. He knew that his brother was right; what had he done that warranted being cut out of her life? He at least should get an answer for that, right? Drew shook his head. He'd see her on the next loop; he was hoping to talk to her about the heavier things then. For now, he saw no reason to go down that side road of Memory Lane over the phone.

* * *

 **"Are you talking to Drew?"**

Ari looked up from her cell phone, her eyes falling on Brie sitting across from her in the sandbox. Brie was a vision of summer, ethereal in white high-waist shorts and an off-the-shoulder peasant blouse. Her dark brown hair was styled in a thick, messy braid that rested over her left shoulder. Her makeup was done in neutral shades, Prada sunglasses replacing the Gucci shades she'd worn to the airport. Simple gold jewelry and white sandals finished off her look, with a tan suede shoulder bag. With a nod, Ari slid her phone back into the pocket of her black denim shorts.

It was a beautiful and humid afternoon in Phoenix, a perfect day for beaches and ice cream. With Bryan at the gym, Brie and Ari decided it was far too nice to stay in the house. They loaded up the car with some water bottles and fruit and decided to spend an afternoon at the park.

"Yeah," Ari answered, readjusting herself in the sand, her ponytail swinging behind her. Brie studied her sister-in-law intently, taking in the tension in her body language and the anxiety in her eyes. It wasn't lost on Brie that Ari had been uncomfortable and borderline afraid since getting off the plane. Brie had mentioned it to Bryan, drawing attention to her nervousness, but Bryan had assured her it was just jet-lag and exhaustion. As the days passed, however, Brie knew for sure that it ran deeper than the travel.

"So what exactly is up between the two of you?" Brie asked. Ari sighed.

"It's hard to explain. Just know that all of it is my fault, fully and completely my fault."

"I doubt that very much. Nothing is entirely ever one person's fault," Brie assured her. Ari shook her head.

"When it comes to the way things are with the two of us...yeah. I shoulder this one completely. I have to own it."

Brie opened her mouth to speak, to once again assure Ari that nothing was ever a hundred percent the fault of one person, but Birdie chose that moment to squeal loudly and shove a pink plastic shovel into her mother's hand. Ari's phone went off. She pulled the phone out, her eyes scanning over it quickly. She sent a quick reply and slid it back into her pocket. "So what is the deal between the two of you, then? Did you two date or something?"

"Oh, God, no. Bryan would have _lost his mind_. He's made it pretty clear over the years that anyone who laces up a pair of boots is _off-limits_." Brie was surprised at the revelation. "It's just...Drew used to look out for me. A lot. I know that there's a lot of shady people in your business, especially on the independent scene, but he was always one of the good ones. If he wasn't traveling, then he was making sure I was eating and not working and studying myself to death. If he weren't around, I probably would have. I'm sure I came close a few times."

"So how did you end up at a school across the country?"

"I applied everywhere when it came time to college." Brie could see something flicker in her Ari's eyes, something that told her that college applications had been a terrible time in Ari's life. "I wanted to stay close to my family, but I also wanted to go to the best possible school. I got accepted at a few places, but this school was the best one for my chosen field that was willing to offer me a full ride. So I jumped on it. I scrimped and saved like crazy, did every odd job from the time I was twelve to save. I ended up packing everything I owned into this little car, and I moved to the east coast alone. Got myself a little apartment off-campus, found a job. It wasn't easy, but I made it work." There was so much more Ari wanted to say, Brie could tell, but she ended her story there. Ari reached for a bucket to start filling with sand.

"You really mean to tell me that you two _seriously_ never tried anything?"

"No. He doesn't think of me like that," Ari said with a snort. "To be honest with you, I always thought he looked out for me because Bryan put the fear of God into him."

Brie turned her attention to her daughter. She wasn't oblivious, and she knew Ari wasn't, either, but she thought for sure that Ari was being willfully ignorant. Brie had seen the way Drew had been looking at Ari during the surprise party. Everyone in the room had seen the way he had doted on her, how he seemed to find every excuse to touch her and talk to her. Nikki had mentioned it to Brie at the party after they had left, and Bryan had made mention of how quickly Drew moved to offer Ari a ride back to the hotel at the end of the night.

"Don't get me wrong – there were always rumors," Ari confessed. "It used to trail us, but there was never anything to it. Bryan's given me the third degree about it, too, but there's nothing."

"Bryan is really that against you dating a wrestler?" Brie asked, incredulous.

"I think Bryan is against me dating, in general." Ari shrugged. "But dating in his world? That's a huge no-no. He said it would be embarrassing to look someone in the eye, knowing that they were doing things with me." Ari looked down and blushed. Brie couldn't help but laugh.

"That's surprisingly prudish of him," Brie said with a snicker. Ari looked up at Brie suddenly.

"No blind dates while I'm here."

"Oh, you're no fun," Brie pouted.

"No. I just don't want another Talk." She shuddered. "I'm not even going to tell you about the phone call I got before I went to prom." Ari dumped the bucket carefully, pulling it up slowly. Birdie promptly smashed it. Everyone laughed. "Well. I guess that's not happening, then. The Bird has spoken."

"I think she has," Brie agreed.

It had been a wonderful two days in Phoenix. Getting to know her niece was a joy Ari had never known before. On the first full day, Brie and Bryan had taken Ari to all of their favorite local spots before capping off their night with a family Face-Time call that involved plenty of laughter and tears. Despite being home, Ari was surprised to find that Bryan's schedule was still incredibly busy. He made it home every night for dinner, but the days were usually just for the girls. The nights were the same; after Brie put Birdie to bed, they would all sit on the couch and watch a movie Ari hadn't seen – which, as Brie quickly learned, wasn't an impossible task. Ari didn't seem to know much of anything about pop culture, leading Brie to believe that off-the-grid wasn't really an exaggeration.

Ari's phone went off again. She pulled her phone out and Brie watched her eyes scan the screen. Ari's lips pursed into a thin line. With a sigh, she typed a quick reply and put her phone away again. "Is everything okay?" Brie asked.

"Yeah. Yeah, everything's fine." Ari started trying to fix the pile of sand in front of her, hoping to make it look like something that kind of resembled a castle. Brie studied her; she didn't believe her. "Everything is just fine."


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter Seven**

* * *

 _ **2009**_

 _"So..._ you're _the illustrious CZW medic I've heard so much about? What are you, honey, twelve?"_

 _Ari looked up at the man in the doorway, momentarily taken aback by the dryness in his voice and the blood that covered his face and matted his dirty blond hair. Being a semi-regular presence at these shows for the past few years, Ari found it strange that she wasn't completely desensitized yet to all the blood and violence. She supposed her empathy and concern were too big for her to contain. Ari did her best to remain stoic, studying the man in front of her._

 _He leaned in the doorway, his fingers through the belt loops of his blood-covered blue jeans with the gigantic holes in the knees. Black boots and a silver chain completed his look; he wasn't wearing a shirt. Blood was smeared across his chest, and she wasn't sure if all of it was his. She was almost afraid to ask. She blinked at the mockery that tinged his raspy voice._

 _"Hardly. I'm twenty-two."_

 _He walked into the room with a punch-drunk swagger that reminded Ari of Captain Jack Sparrow from the Pirates of the Caribbean films. In the middle of the room, his legs went out from under him in a way that was surprisingly graceful. He twisted his body, landing on his back._

 _"You gonna take a look at this for me, babe?" he asked, winking at her._

 _"My name is Ari..." she started._

 _"I don't need your life story, honey – just take a look at this, will you?"_

 _With a roll of her eyes, Ari slid off the bench and made her way to him, armed with her first aid kit. Jon Moxley. It was his first night competing with CZW, and already he'd left a memorable impression on everyone in front of and behind the curtain. There was something about him, a raw charisma that left Ari feeling like her stomach was cluttered with butterflies. She opened her kit and began to get her things together._

 _"Mind if I smoke while you're doing this?" he asked. She stared at him incredulously._

 _"It's illegal to smoke in here," she informed him._

 _"Who are you, the police?" he mocked, adjusting to grab the pack from the back pocket of his jeans. "I won't tell if you won't, sweetheart."_

 _"It's Ari." Rolling her eyes, she slipped on her latex gloves._

 _"Ah, you're one of those 'don't call me a chick' kinda chicks, are you?" He was grinning, and Ari couldn't tell if he was picking on her or being serious. She opened the antiseptic wipes and began to clean the wound around his eyebrow. He jolted. "Ow, ow, ow, motherfucker, what are you doing?" He jerked away from her, propping himself up on his elbows. Ari sighed, shooting him a look of exasperation._

 _"I'm trying to clean your wound."_

 _"Well, fuck, take it easy, will ya?"_

 _"Trying my best."_

 _"Not hard enough. Try harder."_

 _"Duly noted." He shifted back to her and lay down. She dabbed at him gently. "Wild," she murmured._

 _"What?" he asked, lighting his cigarette._

 _"Here you are, doing all this crazy stuff, and you can't handle a little disinfectant."_

 _He took a drag and exhaled, the plume of smoke hitting Ari in the face. She coughed. "How about you just do your job and quit trying to make with the funny shit, lady?"_

 _"Ari." She shook her head. "And you need stitches."_

 _"You can do that, right?"_

 _"I could, but you should be going to a hospital."_

 _"Nah, I think I want you to do it."_

 _"You trust me with a needle after the way you've been talking to me?" she asked incredulously. "I can't tell if you're brave or crazy."_

 _"Little of column A, little of column B, babe..."_

 _"Ari."_

 _"Just do your job, all right?"_

 _Knowing better than to argue, she leaned back and grabbed her other kit. It wasn't the first time she had to stitch someone up on the floor at the CZW arena, and she knew that Jon Moxley wasn't going to be the last._

* * *

 **Ari had spent plenty of time backstage at wrestling shows but never before had she experienced anything on the scale of a WWE event.** She found herself overwhelmed by the organized chaos unfolding around her, spellbound by the electricity that seemed to crackle in the air. Just about everyone she ran into backstage was armed with coffee, smiles, and handshakes, some of them with the bonus of kind words about her brother. Some of the people she had met at the birthday party that she didn't get a chance to talk to stopped by to properly introduce themselves and make small talk. Ari found that she adored Becky Lynch, an orange-haired Irish wrestler filled to the brim with confidence.

Before leaving for the arena, Bryan had told her it was a business professional atmosphere, so Ari dressed in a pair of black slacks with a white tank top underneath a black blazer. She pulled her hair back in a high ponytail that swung to and fro when she walked. The last thing she wanted to do was embarrass Bryan, so she put far more thought into her appearance than she normally did.

With Bryan and Brie off to get ready for the show, Ari sat alone on a black and silver trunk in the bowels of the arena and watched everyone scurry around her like rats. She watched them rush back and forth, watched them talk into radios using jargon she was only vaguely familiar with. While she sat, she couldn't help but think about the year 2003, when Bryan had gotten a one-shot match against the man who would become the face of the company, John Cena.

She had learned during her time on the independent scene that most people had WWE set as their ultimate goal. It had been Bryan's goal; he'd explained it was where the most eyes could see him. It had been a long and bumpy ride, but Bryan had made it, and despite every bump, bruise, and setback, Bryan had survived _and_ thrived. Ari couldn't be prouder of him, and all his accomplishments. She stared out at the open space before her and smiled at the thought that her brother had made it, on his terms.

Since arriving, she had yet to run into Drew, even though _205_ was set to start taping before _SmackDown_ went live. They had sent text messages back and forth during her time in Phoenix, their talks usually superficial and tinged with tension. There was no way they were going to have a serious talk through the phone, but she knew eventually they would have to have some kind of talk to smooth things over.

"Oh, shit. I heard, but I didn't believe it. If this isn't a blast from the past..."

Ari's entire body jolted and became inflamed. Her head snapped in the direction of the oh-so-familiar voice.

She watched as the man formerly known as Jon Moxley approached, the swagger still in his step, but the sway replaced by a normal, linear walk. His mouth was quirked in a smirk. He was dressed in blue jeans and a black shirt underneath a leather jacket, his hair hidden underneath a Las Vegas Golden Knights cap. Since the last time she had seen him, like Drew, he had put on some muscle. As he got closer, she saw in his eyes that he was a far healthier man than she had known back in the day. He came to a stop beside the trunk, his grin turning into a full-blown smile.

"This spot taken?" he asked. She thought about lying, but instead, she shook her head.

"No."

She shifted so he could sit down beside her on the trunk. He shifted, trying to make himself comfortable. He was close enough that she could smell the perfect combination of his jacket and his cologne. Internally, she felt herself deflate. Out of everyone to run into, she couldn't think of anything more awkward than running into _him_. Drew had mentioned he was out with an arm injury, but she saw no sign that anything was off with him. The two of them looked down at their feet, the silence between them growing. It was Jon who broke the silence.

"Long time, no see, Ari. How's life been treating you?"

"All right. You?"

"Life is good. Living the dream. I got no complaints."

"It's kind of weird seeing you without your second shadow."

"My second...oh, you mean Sami," he said with a laugh. "Sami was here a few years ago, but things didn't work out. Injuries, feeling stuck, all that fun shit. So he's over at _Impact Wrestling_ , and he's loving it. We still talk. Switchblade Conspiracy for life, and all that shit." He tried to make a hand gesture, and they couldn't help but laugh. "So... what is the special occasion?"

"What do you mean?"

"Well, I mean, you, like, fell off the map and everyone quit talking about you. I thought that maybe you just kinda...ceased to exist, I guess. Even your boy quit talking about you." He sighed. "I guess I just can't help but wonder what brought the ghost out of hiding."

"I haven't been hiding," she lied. "Just living. I got a career opportunity, and I took it. I just came out to surprise Bryan for his birthday, and to celebrate him getting cleared to get back in the ring."

"I heard you left the country." She nodded. "Where are you calling home these days?"

"Here and there. Right now it's Honduras. Next year could be Guatemala, or Canada, or Greece. Wherever."

"A nomad like us," he teased. "You got bit by the bug following your boy, huh?"

"I've always been a bit of a nomad," she told him with a roll of her eyes. "It has nothing to do with Drew."

"Sure." Ari shot him a look. "I'm sure he's happy to see you."

"It's what he tells me."

"I remember how joined at the hip you two were back in the day. Right down to those stupid matching T-shirts," he reminisced with a laugh. Ari looked up, and he followed her gaze. They watched Renee Young approach, dressed in a black romper with a blue and green sequined blazer with a black collar. Her blonde hair was tousled, her lips painted red, and she was in her bare feet. She held a stack of papers in her hand. She stopped at the trunk, her hazel eyes narrowing slightly.

"There you are..."

"Hey," he greeted, giving her a hug. When they pulled back, he cocked his head in Ari's direction. "Renee, this..."

"We met," Ari cut in. Renee nodded before she turned her attention away from Ari.

"Dr. Samson wants to see you. He wants to look at your arm. You were supposed to go when you got here." Renee looked between the two of them, her smile never wavering, but Ari could see something flicker in her eyes. "We'll talk later. I've gotta go. I just told him I'd pass the message along if I saw you. So go see him. Text me after and tell me what he says, okay?"

"Okay, okay." They gave each other a quick peck on the lips before Renee offered a halfhearted goodbye to Ari and left. They were quiet, watching her leave. It wasn't until Renee disappeared that Ari spoke.

"Satisfied customer?" Ari asked.

"I like to think so," he said with a laugh. "That's my wife."

"Oh." Ari wasn't sure how she felt about the revelation, but she realized it didn't pack the same punch it would have six or seven years ago when she had been younger and far more naive. She smiled. "Congrats. I never pegged you for the marrying kind."

"I met the right woman," he told her. "I mean, you saw the women I used to run with."

"Yep."

"It's pretty amazing she sticks with me sometimes. She's heard some shit."

"She didn't know about any of it before you got together?"

"Oh, she heard some things from a few people, but I don't think she realized just how terrible I was. She _hates_ going back to Philly, just because she always manages to run into a random I hooked up with, and some of them..."

"Aren't that dignified," Ari finished. He nodded. "I could have told you that years ago."

"In those days you couldn't tell me _anything_ ," he said with a laugh. They fell silent. He rubbed at the back of his neck with his hand. "I mean, she's not the jealous type, like, at all, but I mean...what woman likes hearing shit about her husband with other women? Especially with the shit I used to do..."

"Yep." Their conversation came to an immediate halt. His eyes darted around his surroundings. After a moment, he cleared his throat. Ari was looking down at her feet, her lips in a thin line, her expression bemused.

"Should we talk about...?"

"Nope."

"Fair enough." He sighed. "Look, Ari, I know hindsight is twenty-twenty and all that shit, but what I can say now is I'm not the guy I was back then. I used to be a real asshole, and I know you got a lot of it. I'm sorry. For all of it. I know it doesn't mean dick now, but I'm honestly not that guy anymore."

She looked over at him. "I can tell. You don't look wasted."

"I got my shit together when I got signed." He shook his head. "It took me a while, but they drug test here, so it keeps my nose clean." She nodded, and he sighed. "I know I've said and done some pretty awful shit. If you can't forgive me, I get it..."

"No, no. I mean, can't change the past. But a clean slate would be nice."

"Great." He held up a fist. "To a clean slate."

She bumped it. "A clean slate," she echoed. Jon stared down the hall and smirked.

"Oh, look – it's your boy."

Turning her head, Ari saw Drew approach, dressed in a navy suit with a white button-down shirt and a black tie. Ari noticed a strip of material draped over his left arm and two Styrofoam cups of coffee in his hands. Behind her, she heard Jon snort. "Some things never change," he murmured under his breath, amused. He fell silent as Drew reached them. He handed Ari a cup, and she thanked him. They went into their secret handshake in front of Jon, and he was stunned they still remembered it.

"I thought you could use a cup," he told her. Drew's eyes shifted over to Jon, and Ari saw something flicker in his brown orbs. "Hey, man. How's the arm?"

"Still there." He looked between the two of them, and, like Ari, he felt the shift in the atmosphere. "I'm just on my way to see the doc, saw her, and thought I'd say hello since it's not every day the ghost comes out of hiding." Drew nodded, his gaze fixated on Ari, studying her intently. He was waiting to see a glimpse of the old days, but she didn't even flinch. Drew watched Jon slide off the trunk and clap a hand on her shoulder. "Almost didn't recognize her with the hair."

"Same here," Drew said with a polite laugh.

"Good to see you again, Ari. Looking great as always," he told her. She nodded.

"You, too. Congratulations again."

"Thanks." He left. Ari took a sip of coffee, shifting the other way so Drew could sit down on the trunk beside her, but he made no move to join her. He watched Jon's retreating figure until it disappeared from view.

"Are you okay?" he asked, his eyes still fixated in Jon's direction.

"I'm fine," she said with a smile. "You still know how to make a damn fine cup of coffee."

Drew's eyes flickered to her and he smiled. "Well...we practically lived together back in the day. If I didn't know how to make your coffee at this point..."

"It's been years."

"My memory is spectacular." They fell quiet. Drew sighed. "Are you sure you're okay, Ari?"

"I'm fine. We're different people now," she told him with a smile. "It looks like he's in a good place now, so good for him." Ari took a sip of coffee. Drew studied her, searching for any sign of a lie in her face.

"Ari..."

"Drew, I'm fine. Really, I am. It's been a very long time. But I appreciate your concern." They fell quiet. "I know I never told you, but thank you. For everything. For all the years you looked out for me when you really didn't have to. I know I'll never be able to repay those years, but thank you for looking out for me."

"Always."

Ari looked at the navy material over his arm. "What do you have there?"

"Oh, this?" he asked with a grin. He put his coffee down on the edge of the trunk and pulled the material off his arm. "I'm not sure if you wanted one, but they aren't selling these in the shop. I thought you'd want one to add to your collection. If you kept the old one that is."

She took the material from him, opening it to reveal a T-shirt. For A Better 205 Live.

"Wow. I don't even know what to say." She saw the WWE logo above his name and felt her heart swell with pride. "Of course I'd love this. And for the record, I still have my Combat Zone shirts, but a few of them have seen some better days..."

"I'll have to hook you up while you're here," he told her. He picked up his coffee and sat on the trunk beside her. "You remember how it used to bother _him_ so much when we wore matching shirts?"

"It bothered everyone, but he was the worst back then," she reminisced with a sigh. "For the record, I got hell from everyone, front and back, for wearing your shirts."

"I always thought it looked the best on you." She looked down at her feet. Drew sipped his coffee. "How's your week looking?"

"Busy. I'm off to Aberdeen tomorrow. Bryan and Brie want me to come back out for _Money in the Bank_ , so I have a couple weeks to put down some roots at home and visit some people. What about you?"

"Always on the grind. When I'm not here, I'm training."

"That doesn't surprise me. With your knowledge and your talent, anyone working with you is already a step ahead," she told him honestly. He shot her a look.

"You're such a sweetheart. You always were too good for my ego," he told her. They fell quiet for a few moments, the two of them drinking coffee in silence. "So, did you cut everyone out of your life, or do you still talk to your mom?"

The cavalier, casual tone of his voice hit her in the chest like a lightning bolt. "I don't talk to her much, but I check in," she answered. "She had to have surgery last year for a clogged artery."

"I'm sorry to hear that."

"Is she still...?"

"Oh, yeah. She'll never get out." He nodded. They fell quiet.

"Have you thought about making an excursion to Philly while you're here?" he asked, catching her by surprise. Inwardly, he chuckled at the expression on her face. She shook her head, turning away from him.

"Oh, I don't know..."

"You should. You could stay with me. I mean, I've got some extra space. I know there are some people who would love to see you," he told her. She shook her head.

"I doubt that."

He bumped her with his body. "Come on. Come out to Philly. You can come out after _Money in the Bank_. Come on...you know you're going to say yes anyway."

"Fine," she said with a laugh. "You really don't mind?"

"Not at all – it'll be just like old times," he told her, his tone wistful. Ari got off the bench and put the cup down. She slid out of her blazer and reached for the shirt. "Do you still game?"

"No. I haven't in a long time," she confessed. She put the shirt on over her tank top. She pulled it down over her hips. "Good eye. Perfect fit."

Drew smiled. "I just went with your usual size," he told her. She grabbed her blazer and put it back on before she sat down again. "Have I mentioned you have always killed it in my gear?"

"You're too good for my ego," she said with a laugh.

"I only tell the truth."

"Just like a Boy Scout," she teased. He laughed. "Who are you wrestling tonight?"

"Mustafa Ali. Nice guy, but he's a dirty high-flyer." She shot him a look.

"You're still Mr. No Fun Zone, huh?"

"It's No _Fly_ Zone. And yes, yes I am," he told her with a grin. "Why don't you come out and watch the show? I mean, it's usually while people are arriving. I could always talk to someone..."

"I don't want to be any trouble..."

"You? Never." He sipped his coffee. After a moment, he smiled. "I hate to tell you, but I've got a lot of plans for you when you touch down in Philly."

"Rocky?"

"That's just to start," he told her. She laughed. He looked around. "What's Bryan and Brie doing?"

"Getting ready for the show. They said they'd get me when they're done."

"Shoot them a text. Tell them you're gonna take in the 205 taping," Drew said with a nudge. She shot him a look, her mouth pulling into a smile. "Come on. Let's go get you situated for it."

She slid off the trunk and allowed herself to follow Drew. The thought of going back to Philadelphia left her feeling a touch uncomfortable, for reasons she'd never spoken of. But one look at the joy in his face and the way his eyes lit up at the idea of having her back there, and she couldn't say no. She never could say no to Drew.


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter Eight**

* * *

 _ **2009**_

 _"_ _Is that lame-ass shirt the only one you own, Mrs. Gulak?"_

 _With a roll of her eyes, Ari spotted Jon Moxley leaning against the side of the CZW building, smoking a cigarette. He was dressed in a pair of light blue jeans with gaping holes in the knees, with a plain black T-shirt and a simple silver chain around his neck. His hair was dry and unmanageable, puffed out and falling into blue eyes that sparkled with mischief. His lips were pulled back into a smile, revealing adorable dimples that made her heartbeat stutter._

 _In the months since he had joined the Combat Zone Wrestling family, Jon had made himself right at home, seamlessly fitting into the company's image of hardcore and ultra-violent. He was quickly rising through the ranks on the roster, his star power undeniable to anyone who saw him on both sides of the ring. His reputation for delivering raw, gritty promos had quickly set him apart from his colleagues, and Ari could understand why. A time or two, she had stood on the sidelines backstage and watched him deliver promos, amazed at how he could make her feel every emotion she could define._ _The more he spoke about things, the more she related to him, in some aspects she regretted._

 _Four years into volunteering with CZW, most people still regarded_ _Ari with kid gloves, thanks to her relationship to Bryan. While people were careful to watch what they said or did around her, Jon didn't seem to care about that; in fact, Ari was almost willing to bet that Jon enjoyed making her squirm. His charisma was magnetic; he had the ability to draw any woman he wanted into his web, and it wasn't long before he'd created a reputation as a party animal and a womanizer outside the ring._ _Unlike Drew, Jon wasn't localized in Philadelphia; he often made the eight-hour drive from Cincinnati, Ohio, to take shots over the head, neck, and back with things like light bulbs, steel chairs, and kendo sticks. For the first while, she worried about him after the show, when she'd see him stumble out, in pain and intoxicated, but she'd seen him leave with enough women to know that he never had a problem finding a bed to crawl into at the end of the night._

 _"_ _Mrs. Gulak" had quickly become his favorite nickname for her, and he hurled it like an insult; she had her suspicions that he did it to get a rise out of her and out of Drew, and more often than not with Drew, he succeeded. Jon always seemed to be amused by her wearing Drew's T-shirt, regardless of whether or not Drew was on the card or in town. There was no special reason behind it, other than Ari wanting to support her friend the best way she knew how. While Jon's nickname rankled Drew – he thought it was sexist – Ari refused to allow it to rattle her cage. There were far worse things he could call her; she'd heard directly and indirectly the things he said about the women he hooked up with,_ _none of it complimentary. She'd take that nickname over the other things any day of the week._

 _Readjusting her medical bag over her shoulder, Ari approached him with a smile. She was dressed casually in dark blue jeans and Drew's shirt underneath a taupe cardigan to ward off the autumn breeze. Her hair was down, wild and unruly._ _At Jon's last show two months ago, he'd made a comment about her not wearing makeup, so she picked up a new lip gloss and put on some mascara before she left her apartment. She made a quick stop at the store on the way for some extra supplies; Jon was in the main event of the show, taking on Drake Younger in a match that would see the ring ropes_ _replaced with barbed wire, and she wanted to be prepared for the worst. Since Jon's arrival in CZW, Drake was becoming one of Jon's biggest rivals in the ring. Outside of it, Ari thought they were both cut from the same cloth, in love with booze, broads, and parties._

 _"_ _It's the only one you get to see," she told him cheerfully, cocking an eyebrow. "I wasn't aware you were so concerned about my fashion choices."_

 _"Hardly – the shirt is lame, sweetheart," he told her. Pushing himself off the wall, he took a step towards her. He took a long drag off his cigarette, turning his head and blowing the smoke away from her face. She felt her body stiffen as the combined scent of beer, cigarette smoke, and cologne hit her nostrils. Jon loved to invade her personal space and push her boundaries. He was someone who liked to push things too far on both sides of the ring, and it often made Ari uncomfortable._

 _Reaching out, his fingers wrapped around the hem of her shirt, pulling the black material away from her skin and pulling it up, exposing a small patch of her_ _pale abdomen. The corner of his mouth quirked into a smirk. "If you're ever in the market for a replacement, honey, I've got what you need." She felt herself grow heated under his gaze, the burning in her neck rising to her cheeks when he winked at her. She hoped that he couldn't see she was blushing._

 _"_ _Nice try," she told him. Her tongue felt thick and awkward in her mouth, her words felt jumbled. She brought her hand down across the stretched material, knocking it from his grip. The shirt fell back down to the waistband of her jeans. "That's about as far as you get."_

 _"How far does your man get?" Jon asked. She rolled her eyes._

 _"Nobody gets anywhere," she told him firmly. She saw something flash in his eyes, something she placed as amusement. His grin seemed to stretch wider than she thought was humanly possible. He put the cigarette back to his mouth and took a drag, blowing out the smoke to her left._

 _"Oh. You're one of those, are you?"_

 _"One of those?" She blinked, confused._

 _"You a virgin, sweetheart?" She felt herself jolt._

 _"That is none of your business," she told him hotly._

 _"That's a yes," he said smugly. His eyes burned into hers. She felt scrutinized underneath his gaze. "The offer stands when you're ready to let the bad girl out, honey."_

 _"_ _Oh, God..."_ _He opened his mouth to speak, but she cut him off. Her hands shaking, she jammed one hand into the pocket of her cardigan and wrapped the other one around the handle of her bag. "My brother would kill you."_

 _"He doesn't have to know. I can be discreet." She laughed a loud bark that caught him off-guard._

 _"I've been around you enough to know you're not discreet about anything," she told him with a roll of her eyes. "_ _I'm going inside."_

 _She turned to leave, and Jon grinned when she staggered. Once again, he had succeeded in throwing her for a loop. It was almost too easy. Throwing his cigarette butt to the pavement and stomping it out with his shoe, he fell in step beside her._ _She shot him a look and he raised his hands. "Sorry, princess. Didn't mean to get you so hot under the collar. You gonna tell on me?"_

 _Ari rolled her eyes. "All this energy messing with me. You should be focused on your match."_

 _"You worried about me getting hurt tonight?" he asked, batting his eyelashes. She shook her head. "Don't worry, babe – I was born ready. You gonna be front and center to see it tonight?"_

 _"It depends."_

 _"On what?"_

 _"It depends on who hurts themselves before you get out there." Sometimes Ari was able to follow Drew out to the main area and take in the action, but for the most part, she was backstage cleaning up and taking care of the talents who did stupid things to themselves with fire,_ _glass,_ _barbed wire, and fluorescent lights._ _Ari was thankful that the injuries she saw were usually pretty minor, mostly cuts and scrapes. She was very thankful that Drew was a straightforward wrestler, not engaging in any of the risky behaviors that the others seemed to. Ari wasn't sure if it was Drew's decision, or management's, but she was glad nonetheless. The idea of Drew getting hurt made her guts churn every time he had a match. It was the same feeling she had with Bryan, the fear that he'd end up hurt, paralyzed, or killed._

 _She held the door open for Jon, and he walked inside. Ari turned her head and stared out at the overcast sky and the green trees that were slowly turning different shades of red and orange. With a dejected sigh and a tight smile, she turned and walked into the building, letting the door shut behind her. Drew was in his usual habitat, inside the ring with a couple of the guys, working on new moves. Jon turned to her and smirked before he disappeared to the backstage area._

 _Ari moved to the chairs and sat down in the back row to watch him. He was firm, patient, and kind, the perfect mix to be a great teacher._ _She firmly believed that Drew could rule the world if he wanted to. While pro wrestling was a strange industry to ply such skills, Ari couldn't deny that Drew was right at home inside of this world._

* * *

 ** _Are you awake?_**

Ari scanned the text message. She looked at the time at the top corner of her phone; it was just after six in the morning, and it said underneath that Drew had sent the message fifteen minutes before. Turning her head to the left, Ari looked at the empty, unmade bed. Brie, Bryan, and Birdie were out for the morning. Bryan had asked Ari to go, but she had laid awake almost the entire night, so she decided to stay back and attempt to catch up on her sleep. She was sure Bryan was disappointed that she didn't go, but he said nothing. Ari had hoped to catch up on her sleep, but so far it wasn't coming back to her. Instead, she lay awake, staring up at the ceiling for a few minutes before she huffed and reached for her phone.

 _I am. What's up?_

She stared at the screen, waiting for his response. Once again, Ari thought about the night before, about how rattled he had been to see her sitting on a trunk with Jon. She felt like he didn't believe her when she told him that she was fine, that six years had a way of turning everyone into different people. Ari spent the whole night tossing and turning, thinking about everything and everyone she had seen since coming back. There was still so much scrutiny behind his gaze, and it was a struggle to adjust to. He had no reason to trust her; she was honestly surprised that he was even acknowledging her existence. When she had left, she'd believed deep in her heart that he would never miss her; his career was taking off and he was on the road more often than not. They weren't seeing each other as much as they used to, and she thought they were drifting apart. Ari figured that life would keep him distracted, and she'd just be a soon-forgotten chapter.

But she had been wrong.

The knowledge of how wrong she had been about Drew's feelings ate at her insides since they had reunited at Bryan's party. Having to face him and see his pain, knowing that she had inflicted that kind of pain on him, was the worst feeling of all. She could still see the hurt that shone in his eyes when they talked to each other, could still feel the reluctance in his body language. Ari believed that he was happy to see her; she was happy to see him, too. While it had been her hope to shed her skin and start anew, she still thought about him, had hoped he was doing well. Bryan was more than happy to help cleanse her of the pro wrestling world, a place he had never wanted her to step into. Wrestling only came up when it came to the big milestones of Bryan's career; nothing more, nothing less.

 _I am just getting ready to head to the gym. Did you want to come with me?_

Ari thought about it and realized that outside of the occasional walk in the park or jog around a city block, she'd never worked out with Drew or even asked about his workout regimen. Her small forays into the ring with Drew in his off-time taught her that wrestlers needed to possess otherworldly cardio to function between the ropes. She sighed and sent a reply. _Sure. I don't think I'm falling back asleep anyway. How long do I have before you get here?_

She sat up in bed, the white comforter falling to her waist, revealing the black spaghetti-strapped top she wore. There was still a few hours before she had to be at the airport to catch her flight. By the evening she'd be back home at her mother's in Aberdeen, visiting her family. There was a bit of ground to cover, but the idea of putting down roots for a couple weeks felt nice. _Money in the Bank_ was in two and a half weeks, and then she was off to Philadelphia. She was trying her best not to think about that; heading back to the east coast made her nervous, but there was a lot of places she wanted to visit, including her old school, and a few of the places where she and Drew used to hang when they weren't watching movies at each other's apartments.

 _I'm in the area. Probably about ten minutes or so. If you need more time, I can just wait._ Ari sent him the information he needed to know, and she promised him she'd be ready in ten minutes.

Pulling the covers back, Ari swung her legs off the bed and placed her feet on the cream carpet. She moved quickly, gathering everything she needed to go to the gym. She packed everything she needed for after the workout, including her key-card, wallet, toiletries, and a change of clothes. Ari got dressed in her workout clothing. She stood in front of the mirror, watching her reflection as she quickly styled her hair in a messy braid.

Reaching for her phone, she quickly sent a text message to Bryan. _Can't sleep. Got invited to workout with Drew. I'll see you when I get back._

It was a few minutes before Bryan messaged back. _See you then. Have fun. Be safe._

 _Always._ She placed her phone into her gym bag and pulled the strings tight, putting it over her shoulders like a backpack. She slipped on her running shoes and made her way out of the room.

Getting off the elevator, she found Drew signing autographs and posing for pictures in the lobby, armed with a cup of coffee. In all the years she had known him, she had never known him to be a morning person, and the look in his eyes told her that not a lot had changed in that department, that he still much preferred to be in bed. He spotted Ari and his smile grew bigger. "Okay, guys, she's here. That's it for me. I've gotta go."

The fans in the lobby thanked him, and he left them, approaching Ari with his arms outstretched. She walked into them, hugging him tightly. "Good morning," he greeted, squeezing her into him with his forearms. "Your coffee is in the car."

"You didn't have to..." she started, her words dying on her lips when he pulled back. "Thank you. Coffee sounds great right about now."

"When the hour is in single digits, coffee is _always_ a great idea," he told her with a laugh. She nodded. The two of them left the hotel, walking out into the sunlight. Drew led her towards his rental car, sipping his coffee. Reaching into the pocket of his trousers, he pulled out his keys and unlocked the door. She moved to the back and threw her bag inside before she got inside the car.

She settled into the passenger's seat, reaching into the cup holder for her coffee. She didn't have to taste it to know that he had made it perfect; the fact that he still remembered how she liked her coffee after so long apart blew her mind. Ari shut her eyes and smiled when she took her first sip. Drew got into the driver's seat beside her, shooting her a smile before he started the car. She crinkled her nose at the music.

"Tony's," Drew explained. She nodded. Placing his arm around her seat, he looked out the rear window as he backed carefully out of the parking spot. "Some of it's not bad," Drew murmured.

"If you say so," she told him. He chuckled. "You guys travel together?"

"Yeah. Usually, there's a whole group of us. For once, they wanted to stay in bed and I wanted to get going. Usually, they're waiting on me," he admitted sheepishly.

"Still not a morning person."

"Never will be." She sipped her coffee as he turned onto the main road. After a moment of silence, he reached over and turned up the music. She shot him a chagrined look, but all she got in return was a warm smile.

* * *

 **"Ugh. I think we're getting old, Ari."**

With great effort, Drew turned his head to the left to find Ari sprawled out on the charcoal grey padded floor beside him, her arms stretched, left leg crooked over the right. Her thick braid fell over her left shoulder. It had taken a beating during the workout, with more hair out of the braid than in it. She was dressed in Drew's For A Better Combat Zone T-shirt and black leggings. Soaked in sweat and exhausted, the duo lay on the floor and made no effort to move. Drew was in his workout gear, in a Catch Point T-shirt and black basketball shorts, his hair mussed and eyes tired. Drew lay flat on the ground, arms over his head, legs out straight. All around them, they were surrounded by the noise of heavy weights hitting the floor, people grunting and shouting words of encouragement and frustration, and the loud static of blaring music from headphones.

Ari turned her head to face him, staring back with a tired smile. With a snort and a roll of her eyes. "We're the same age. Get out of here," she told him with a laugh. She sighed, rolling her head to stare up at the ceiling. "You were the one who wanted to see how I work out these days," Ari reminded him.

"You're right. This is all my fault," Drew agreed with a huff, covering his face with his hands and exhaling. "I didn't realize you became Lara Croft in your absence."

"I live in the middle of nowhere. I work out in the wilderness. Set me loose in a forest, and I'm swinging on trees like I'm Tarzan." The mental image of Ari swinging from vine to vine like the cartoons made Drew laugh. Both of them remained on the floor, in silence, their rapid breathing slowing down. Drew felt like he had just run a marathon; every muscle in his body was screaming. He didn't know how she wasn't feeling the same way.

"I know we need to get up, but I can't move," Drew confessed. Ari turned her sight back to him.

"Can't or don't want to? Because I'm not going to lie to you – I'm a little of columns A and B right now."

Drew laughed. He was a little sad that she wasn't going to be a permanent fixture on the road with him. Despite the awkwardness that still lingered between them, he couldn't deny that he was happy whenever she was near him. He thought he would have had to fight harder to get her to head back to Philadelphia with him for any period of time, but he could see that she'd had the thought sometime since her arrival. It was still a few weeks away, but it gave him something to look forward to, something to break up the routine he'd settled into. She had always been a welcome distraction, and even with all the time, distance, and strangeness between them, his doors were always open for her. He knew she felt the same.

With a loud groan, Drew pushed himself into a sitting position. He crooked his left knee and allowed his arm to rest on his leg. "Well, we should really think about it. If we lay here for much longer, people are going to start thinking that we're weird." Ari snorted.

"Heaven forbid that happens," she told him with a giggle. Grinning, Drew stood, taking his place over her. He looked down at Ari, taking in every detail of the woman lying on the floor. Drew couldn't help but study the dreamy, tired smile on her face, and the way her clothing seemed to stick to her. In her absence, she'd become an athlete, something he hadn't expected. Standing above her, his muscles screaming for mercy, he extended his hand for her to take, a silent offer to help her stand. With a huff, she reached out and took his hand, allowing him to help her to her feet. "Thanks. When do you head home today?" she asked him.

"This afternoon. I've got to be at the airport for one," Drew told her. They turned to look at the basic black and white clock on the white wall. It was just past eight in the morning. "How about you? When's your flight to Aberdeen?"

"I have to be at the airport for noon."

"Well...if you aren't super busy this morning, do you want to go for breakfast after we clean up? I'm supposed to meet with the guys at about nine." She shot him a look. "We do this every morning before we separate for the weekend." Drew studied Ari, examined the look on her face thoughtfully. He couldn't tell which part of his offer made her look like she was about to break out into hives – having a meal with him, or eating with him _and_ a group of guys. Ari crossed her arms over her chest and shifted her weight to her left leg. Her gaze left his, moving to the floor.

"I don't know. I don't want to interrupt guys' time..."

"Guys' time?" Drew couldn't contain his laughter. "It's not guys' time – it's breakfast. And you wouldn't be intruding on _anything_ ; I mean, Tony mentioned inviting you this morning before I left, and Noam still hasn't had the chance to meet you, and the guy has been driving me crazy about it." He put his hands on his hips, his gaze following hers to the floor. "I mean, if you don't want to, it's fine. We can clean up, and I can take you back to Bryan and Brie. I was just thinking since we're already out..."

"No, no. It sounds great." They locked eyes. She smiled. "It sounds nice. I just don't want to mess with your plans..."

"You? Never." He flashed her a reassuring smile. There was a beat between them. "It's good to have you back."

"It's nice to be back," she answered, an almost automatic response. She nudged into him playfully. "You're still as stuffy as I remember, but I still think you're kind of fun," she teased. He shot her a look full of offense.

" _Kind_ of stuffy? I'll have you know that I'm the life of any social gathering I am a part of."

"You're not helping your case," she told him with a laugh. She looked around the gym. "I guess I'm going to go and clean up before we can go. Maybe let the guys know I'm coming with you..."

"They know. Don't worry," he assured her. "Nobody has an issue with it."

"Okay." She didn't sound a hundred percent sure, but she wasn't going to push the issue. The two of them went into their secret handshake before separating to the locker rooms to get cleaned up.

* * *

 **"Is he bringing his little girlfriend along?"**

Tony looked up from his phone, across the table at the self-proclaimed "Scottish Supernova" Noam Dar, who was dressed in a garish green and purple paisley button-down shirt, his hair mussed as if he had just rolled out of bed and come down to the hotel restaurant for breakfast. With a nod, Tony put his phone down on the tabletop and leaned back against the red vinyl booth, jamming his hands into the front pocket of his grey hooded sweatshirt.

The arrival of Ari Harris in the WWE locker room had been an item of hot gossip among the _205_ guys once people realized she had a past with the captain of the No Fly Zone. Noam was one of the last ones on the _205_ roster to meet her; it was almost a divine comedy how he was just missing her at this point. While the quartet at the table was a tight-knit group, Noam was surprised to find that everyone was remaining tight-lipped about the situation, leaving him even more curious.

"Yeah. He's bringing her out. They should be here pretty soon. Just...don't say anything like that to their faces, okay? It's kind of weird between them," Tony confessed. Noam turned his head to Jack, who only offered a curt nod of confirmation. "You say girlfriend in front of Drew, and he's probably going to have a stroke."

"But they're friends?" Noam asked.

"Yeah. But things are complicated with them," Tony admitted. "Just...don't ask. I don't even know."

"What's she like, then?" Noam asked. Jack shrugged.

"She seems nice enough. I've only met her briefly." Tony nodded.

"Same." He turned his head, brown eyes scanning the restaurant. He spotted Ari and Drew on the other side of the door. "They're here."

"She's a pretty thing, isn't she?" Noam commented. He watched the duo approach, noting the way Drew's hand ghosted over Ari's spine as he gently led her towards the table. Drew was changed into a grey T-shirt and blue jeans, his hair still wet from his post-workout shower. Ari's hair was still wet, but her braid was refastened. She'd changed into a pair of blue jeans and a long-sleeved, black V-neck shirt.

Taking a sip of his tea and placing the mug down on the desk, Jack smiled and greeted them first. "Good morning, Ari. Drew." Tony and Noam shifted so that Drew and Ari could sit in the booth with them.

"Sit with me, sweetheart," Noam told her. Drew shot him a look.

"Ari, this is Noam. Noam, this is Ari," Drew introduced.

"Finally, we meet. The pleasure is all mine," Noam told her, flashing her a charming smile. He extended his hand for her to shake, and Drew had to bite back a laugh when she clasped his hand and his expression changed to one of pain. Drew made a mental note that Ari still possessed a firm handshake. The smile soon faded, his lips pursing into a thin line when Noam turned Ari's hand over and placed a gentlemanly kiss on the top. Ari laughed as she pulled her hand back, taking her seat beside him. Drew sat down beside Tony.

"Good morning, Jack. Tony," she answered. Tony looked up from his menu and smiled at her before letting his gaze flicker back to the laminated page. Noam picked up his menu, turning to Ari and wiggling his eyebrows suggestively.

"You can look at mine - we're short one here," he offered. Across from them, Drew fought the urge to shift and kick Noam under the table. "I don't mind sharing," Noam added with a wink. Ari couldn't help but laugh at him. There was something incredibly boyish about Noam; in the short time since meeting him, she decided that she liked his vibe.

"I don't have cooties – I promise," she told him, raising her right hand. Noam threw his head back and laughed, an over-the-top, obnoxious sound. Tony kept his gaze on the menu, doing his best to contain his laughter.

"If you did, I wouldn't hold it against you," he told her. She shook her head.

"Your accent...you're Scottish?" she asked. He nodded.

"Yep. You ever been?"

"No, I haven't."

"Beautiful place. If you ever make it out that way when I'm there, I'd love to show you around." Tony stole a glance at Drew, who stared bemusedly at his menu. Jack sipped his tea, his smile ear-to-ear. Noam cocked his head in Drew's direction. "So, how do you know this dafty over here?"

"CZW," Drew answered without looking up from the menu. He made his decision, shut it, put it down on the surface and looked up at the two of them. "She volunteered as a medic there for a couple years."

"For real?" Noam asked. She nodded.

"For real," she confirmed. The waitress approached, dressed in black slacks and a black sweater with a name tag that read JULIA. She began taking everyone's orders. Ari jumped to the front of the line of giving orders when her phone suddenly went off while Jack was ordering. She looked at the caller ID and smiled.

"Excuse me for a moment. I need to take this," she told them. Sliding out of the booth, she answered the phone. Drew heard her greet her mother. She wove her way through the tables, headed outside. Drew looked over at Noam, who returned Drew's chagrined stare with a wide smile of his own.

"She's a dear," Noam announced. "You two spent years together. Wow. How come you never married her, Gulak?"

Drew felt his skin grow heated. He was vaguely aware of Tony and Jack choking on their drinks. "Jesus, Noam!" Tony sputtered, reaching for a napkin to clean up the mess. Drew rolled his eyes.

"Valid question. I mean, you could do much worse," Noam insisted. Drew sighed.

"Dude, I am like two seconds from looking into having you deported." Noam threw his head back and laughed. Drew sipped his coffee. "You are the absolute worst, man. Don't think I don't see what you're doing."

"If you two go back that far, why not?"

"Her brother would have murdered me, for one. And two..." He trailed off when he saw her walk back inside the restaurant. He turned to Noam. "Not a word, okay? I don't want to have to kill you on a full stomach."

"Chill," Noam told him with a laugh. They turned their attention to Ari as she approached.

"Everything okay?" Drew asked. She nodded, sliding into her seat beside Noam.

"Yeah. Just Mom. She wanted to get a rundown on my schedule for the afternoon, find out when the plane is touching down." Drew could sense there was more to the phone call, but he accepted it at face value. "She's turned my old bedroom into a sewing room that's now going to be my room again. So weird."

"She happy to see you?"

"I think so," she said with a laugh. "It's what she tells me anyway."

"Have you seen what the weather is like in Aberdeen today?" Drew asked her. She laughed.

"No, but I'm willing to bet it's raining." They fell quiet as the waitress arrived with their breakfast. Ari leaned back against the vinyl so the waitress could reach over her to hand a plate to Jack and put food down in front of Noam and herself. The waitress placed Drew's breakfast in front of him, and he realized that he had barely eaten the night before. He would be the first to admit his appetite had taken a hit since Ari's arrival. The waitress had barely pulled her hand away when Drew reached for the silverware and began to cut into his meal. The conversation shifted to _205 Live_ , with Ari asking questions about the Cruiserweight Classic and everyone's road to WWE and their lives before the tournament. Drew watched thoughtfully, noted how she held eye contact with everyone she talked to, asking all the right questions and laughing at all the right parts as she ate her fruit salad and sipped on her coffee. He still couldn't help but feel like it was a dream, like she wasn't really sitting across from him, talking and laughing. But there was still so much he wanted to know, so many questions he wanted answered; but on the road, with a schedule so busy and time so scarce, he felt like he just couldn't find the right time to ask.


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter Nine**

* * *

 _ **2009**_

 _"Hey, Ari...I hate to pull you away from what you're doing, but we've got a situation in the ring, and we_ really _need you."_

 _Looking up from her spot on the floor, Ari was surprised to find Drew standing in the doorway, a hand on each side of the frame. Since training ended earlier in the afternoon, he'd showered and cleaned up, changed into a brown suit with a blue button-down shirt and a black tie. His hair was mussed, his brown eyes wild with the kind of excitement that only came with unbridled chaos. She cocked an eyebrow, her curiosity piqued, before her gaze shifted to Danny Havoc, who was laid on his stomach on the floor, his head rested on his forearms. She'd spent the last fifteen minutes of her life pulling shards of glass out of his back and her wrists were beginning to ache. She suspected that he had broken - or at the very least bruised - a rib or two during his match earlier in the evening, and while he promised her that he would go and get checked when the show was over, Ari had her suspicions that he was just telling her the things she wanted to hear. There were a lot of guys in the CZW locker room that liked to do that._

 _"Go."_

 _"Are you sure?" she asked him. Danny nodded._

 _"Yeah. I'm perfectly comfortable here. I'm not going anywhere. You're needed out there. Go." With a nod, Ari took off her latex gloves and disposed of them in a nearby trashcan before reaching for her first aid kit. Drew pushed himself off the door as she approached and began to make his way back towards the ring area. Ari struggled to keep up with him._

 _"What's going on?" she asked._

 _"Just your usual deathmatch shenanigans," he told her over his shoulder. "This time around it's a little bit more on the extreme side."_

 _"How extreme are we talking, Drew?"_

 _He stopped. She came to a stop with him, taking a step back as he wheeled on her. He placed his hands on his hips and huffed, his face taking on a bemused expression. "You ever cut a man out of barbed wire before, Ari?" he asked. She blinked._

 _"No, but if this place has taught me anything, it's that there's a first time for everything in this place." She studied him. Something flickered in his eyes, and she sighed. "There's more to it than barbed wire, isn't there?"_

 _He nodded. "There were some minor explosives involved..."_

 _"_ Explosives?" _she blurted, stunned. "Jesus Christ, what the fuck is wrong with you people?"_

 _Drew couldn't keep the surprise off his face; Ari never spoke so colorfully. Even backstage, with all the debauchery and vulgarities, she kept herself ladylike. Before Drew could say anything, she rushed past him, moving with purpose towards the black curtain that would lead out to the ring. He followed behind her. "Ari..."_

 _"This is a hospital visit. Has anyone called for an ambulance?"_

 _"They're both refusing."_

 _"Who's out there?"_

 _"Younger and Moxley." Ari froze. It was almost as if she'd forgotten how to walk. Drew almost crashed into her. Clearing his throat, he continued. "He's tangled up real bad, Ari. I need to warn you that it's not pretty out there."_

 _"Is he okay?"_

 _"He's conscious and he's talking. I suspect he's drunk because he's slurring, which might be a good thing because he might not be feeling this as much as he would sober." Ari nodded, but his words did little to reassure her. He studied her intently, feeling a tug inside his chest when he locked onto the sadness and terror in her eyes. "Should we cut him out, or should we overrule and get that ambulance?"_

 _"Even if we call an ambulance, we have to get him out of there. If he moves, he could make things a hell of a lot worse for himself." Drew nodded; neither of them had to say it - they both knew if anyone could make a situation worse, it was Jon Moxley. "We need to get out there. Never mind the barbed wire...did they blow off their limbs?"_

 _"Everyone's got two arms. I checked."_

 _She burst through the black curtain that led out to the ring, moving with purpose. She held onto the first aid kit so tightly that her knuckles were white. Drew followed close behind her, shucking off his suit jacket and throwing it onto a steel folding chair. Ari stopped momentarily to take in the carnage inside the ring, taking in the bloodstained canvas and the weapons. Behind her, Drew was unbuttoning his sleeves and rolling them up to his elbows. Towards the edge of the ring, her eyes fell on the gigantic tumbleweed of barbed wire that Jon Moxley was currently tangled in. "What in the hell is that thing?"_

 _"A bad idea." She shot Drew a look, and he raised his hands in surrender. Her eyes fell back on the ring._

 _"I don't see Younger."_

 _"I saw the whole thing. The force knocked them both back. It blew both of them backward, and Mox ended up there, and Drake hit the corner. He rolled out of the ring." They made their way through the chairs._

 _"Shit. Do we have wire cutters?"_

 _"I think we keep a pair or two under the ring. I'll check." Drew made a beeline for the ring, pulling up the apron and kneeling to look underneath. Looking inside the ring, he refused to allow her to walk inside it alone. Not with the carnage and shrapnel inside._

 _Ari moved around the ring, where Drake was stirring. One leg was underneath the makeshift barricade, under a chair. He was covered in blood; it was hard to tell where he'd been cut or burned. She knelt down beside him, reaching into her kit to pull out a pair of latex gloves. "Are you with me?" she asked._

 _"I'm good. I'm good. I promise," he assured her. She pulled his eyes wide to study his pupils, looking for any sign of shock or a concussion._

 _"I need to be sure. Can you tell me your name?"_

 _"It's Drake, Ari. You know that."_

 _"I have to ask. Do you know where you are?"_

 _"CZW arena."_

 _"What day is it?"_

 _"Saturday." He sucked in a breath as a bolt of pain rattled his body. "I'm fine, Ari. I promise. It looks worse than it feels."_

 _"Can you move your fingers and toes?"_

 _"Yeah. Nothing's broken. I'm fine. I promise. Just...let me lie here for a moment."_

 _"Are you short of breath? How's your breathing?"_

 _"I just wrestled, Ari. What do you think?"_

 _"Fair enough. I'm going to check your pulse. I'm just checking for signs of shock." She placed two of her fingers to his neck and felt a strong pulse. "If you want to stay here and get yourself together, do that. I need to check on Jon. Whose idea was it to use explosives?"_

 _"Do I have to tell you?" he asked. She sighed._

 _"Nope. You don't." Pulling off her gloves, she dropped them beside Drake. Standing, she looked inside the ring as she moved towards Drew, conflicted feelings of anguish, anger and fear raging within her like waves. He lay unmoving in the wire. The blue jeans he wore were ruined, spattered with blood and ripped. Rounding the corner, she looked down at Drew, who was halfway underneath the ring._

 _"Have you found it?"_

 _"Yeah. It got knocked back," he called out from under the ring. He pushed himself back, standing to his feet, a pair of red-handled wire cutters in his hand. As Ari moved towards the ring steps, Drew moved quicker, reaching out and grabbing her gently by the elbow. She turned to him. "I'm going in there with you," he told her firmly. His gaze shifted to the mess inside the ring. "I don't think I need to tell you this is the real deal in there at the moment, so be careful, okay?"_

 _She nodded, and he let go of her. Drew moved ahead of her, climbing the steps and moving along the apron, away from Jon and the wire. He stepped on the bottom rope and pulled the middle so she could get inside the ring. She thanked him quietly as she got in. Looking down at the canvas, up close and personal with the blood and weapons, she felt herself become queasy._

 _Drew moved past her. "If you want to pull the wire, I'll cut," he offered. She nodded. It wasn't that Drew was afraid to get his hands dirty, or that he was afraid to get cut; he was just worried about injuring Jon further. With her knowledge of human anatomy and first aid, he trusted Ari far more than himself to remove the wire from his flesh. He turned to her, frozen in place, staring down at Jon, and he wanted to reach out and embrace her and take her out of there. He felt terrible asking her to do this; he felt like he was torturing her with the sight of this, but he needed her. He didn't know what to do, and she had proven over and over again that she knew what she was doing. He would tell anyone who listened that he trusted Ari with his life._

 _They knelt beside Jon, and she opened her first aid kit, reaching for a new pair of gloves. Her hands were shaking; she could feel a lump forming in her throat, a wide ball that made it almost impossible to swallow._ What the hell is wrong with me? It's not like I haven't seen worse than this since I've been here. Remember the time Younger bashed his head and you could see his skull? Stop being such a wimp _, she thought to herself. Kneeling beside her, Drew watched her the entire time. Looking at her face, he could almost read her thoughts. She always had a hard time when people she considered friends got hurt, but he'd never seen her so rattled. Sitting back on her calves, Ari sucked in a breath._

 _"I'm so, so sorry," she offered softly. "This is going to hurt."_

 _She reached out and pulled the first piece of wire out of his skin._

 _"Motherfucking son of a bitch!" Jon jerked. Startled, Ari released her hold roughly with a cry, losing her balance and falling back. Drew moved quickly, his free hand on her back to keep her from falling. She shot him a grateful, albeit sheepish look, and he suddenly hated himself for putting her in harm's way. He was sure if Bryan knew what she was doing at that moment, that his head would be on a silver platter. He hated having her this close to the violence, but he wanted this done right. He didn't know what to do, but he knew he could count on her to know; she always seemed to know._

 _"Dude, stay still. We need to cut you out," Drew told him sternly._

 _"Well, excuse me. It fucking hurts," Jon slurred. He shifted, and Ari put a hand on his back, a silent warning for him to stop moving._

 _"The more you move, the worse damage you can do," Drew informed him, exasperated. "Please stay still."_

 _"Who fucking died and made you king?"_

 _With a frustrated sigh and a roll of her eyes, Ari reached out and grabbed the barbed wire again between her fingers and pulled it away from his skin. Jon hissed. Ari looked at Drew. "Cut."_

 _Drew moved quickly. To her relief, the wire didn't appear as deep in this cut as she thought it would be, but the blood that pumped from the thin line across his back made her feel uneasy. She could see there were a few spots where he needed stitches. There was a nasty wound on his upper right side; she was sure that had happened when he jerked._

 _"How does one even get caught up in something like this?" she lamented, grabbing at another piece of wire, this one around his left leg. Drew cut the wire quick._

 _"You weren't watching my match, sweetheart?"_

 _"I had work to do. Someone has to make sure you lunatics leave this asylum in one piece." She moved to pull another piece away, but he shifted. Drew saw her rear back quickly and he felt an instant bolt of panic. "Damn it!"_

 _"Ari...?" A shake of her head and a huff cut him off._

 _"Fine. I'm fine. I just cut myself." Drew looked at the blood that seeped from her fingertips. She pulled off her gloves and quickly patched herself up before she put on a new pair of gloves. She was murmuring under her breath the entire time, and Drew couldn't recall ever seeing her so frustrated before. It was rare he saw her in anything but a pleasant mood, but he knew that Jon Moxley had a way of pushing everyone's patience to its breaking point. "Have you lost feeling anywhere? Can you feel your fingers and toes?" She reached out and gave his fingers a gentle squeeze. "Can you feel that?"_

 _"I got something else you can feel, sweetheart," he slurred, his hips thrusting. Ari released her grip on him as if it were made of fire, her entire body flushing with embarrassment. Ari was sure if looks could kill, that Drew would have evaporated Jon with the heat of his glare._

 _"Don't be an idiot, Moxley - she's trying to help."_

 _"I sense jealousy..." His tone became sing-song._

 _"Would you just stay still?" Ari cut in, pulling back, pulling off her gloves to bandage two more fingers. Between his comments and the stinging pain in her fingers, it was taking everything Drew had inside of him to not tell Ari to just leave Moxley in the wires, to his own devices. He could see the pink tint in her face, all the way down to her neck. The stiff, overly aware movements she made told him that Jon had succeeded in making her uncomfortable._

 _"She's checking for nerve damage, Mox - have you lost feeling anywhere?" Drew asked._

 _"Nowhere I'd want you to check."_

 _Before Drew could reach into the wires and choke him, Ari jumped in. "You need to go to the hospital. You need stitches in a few places, and since you aren't going to answer me, you should go and check to make sure there's no damage to your tendons or your nerves." Drew could tell by her tone of voice that she was about done with Jon and his antics._

 _"You can't do it?" he asked. The tone of his voice had changed; it had taken on an almost fearful edge, something that caught both Drew and Ari off-guard. Ari sighed; that was always his response when she told him that he needed to seek a professional for medical help. The three of them knew that Ari was going to do what Jon wanted her to do._

 _"If I'm going to do it, I need you to cooperate. So that means you need to stay still until it's time to get you out of there. Got it?"_

 _"Got it."_

 _Ari turned to Drew. "Go get Sami. We're gonna need an extra set of hands to get him out of here."_

 _"I'm not leaving..."_

 _"Everything will be fine. Go get him. We need him." Drew looked at her face, at an expression that seemed to convey every emotion, and he nodded._

 _"Be careful. I'll be right back." She nodded. Drew handed her the wire cutter and got out of the ring. With a shake of her head, tired of everyone arguing with her, she went back to work._

 _"Is the old man jealous?"_

 _"Could you just stop?"_

 _"I could, but you don't want that."_

 _"What you don't know about me could fill a warehouse," she muttered, pulling a piece of wire off his arm._

 _"That's what I like about you-you're a lot more fun than your old man." She sighed. It had already been a long night before the men inside the ring had tried to blow themselves up; now, it just felt like it was never going to end._

* * *

 **Ari wasn't at all surprised to find that her predictions about the weather in her hometown had been accurate.** Wrapping her black and white cardigan over her chest, she crossed her arms and let her head fall back against the headrest, her head tilting to the side to look out the airplane window. It was drizzling rain outside, the beads of water falling diagonally across the glass. The sky looked cold and grey, the clouds blackened.

She'd spent a lot of years traveling, mostly since moving out of the United States, and Ari found that while she hated all the pre-flight stuff, she loved the feeling of being above the clouds, of looking down at the world below. Flying at night was her favorite; there was something downright majestic about the way city lights glimmered below. She looked out the window, her expression conveying her exhaustion. The Cranberries' "Linger" played softly in her headphones, an attempt to find some serenity before the plane landed and she was back in Aberdeen.

As the plane began to lower, Ari couldn't help but take stock of all the conflicting emotions that seemed to follow her on this trip. While she was in Aberdeen, her plans were to stay with her mother. She had plans to visit her biological mother and do some sightseeing. Aberdeen had never been a particularly kind place to her; she didn't have friends to connect with during her visit. She couldn't help but wonder how much had changed during her absence. Her upbringing had been a far-from-pleasant experience; growing up, she'd learned firsthand that kids could be cruel. She'd been looked down on for things that had been far beyond her control. Once she'd ended up in the Danielson household, Bryan had become her protector and best friend, sometimes to a smothering and domineering degree. She loved her brother; he'd gone to bat for her more times than she could count, had gotten into fights for her. There had been no awkwardness when she'd come into their home with nothing but the clothing on her back; she'd been accepted with open arms in a way that she had never known.

But she'd always been on the outside looking in. Socially, she had been a pariah; everyone in Aberdeen seemed to hold her away from them at arm's length. It didn't help that the newspaper articles, rumors, and speculation were at the forefront of people's minds. She'd spent her teenage years as the elephant in the room, the girl with the past that everyone knew about but only the cruelest would speak of to her face. Her teenage experience had been lonely; nothing but studies. There had been no house parties, no shenanigans that peppered a typical teenage upbringing. Bryan was there to keep her on the straight and narrow, and nobody else seemed to want her around.

It wasn't until she left Aberdeen for Philadelphia that she felt like she'd found her footing in life. Nobody in Philly knew about her past; to the people she met, Ari Harris was just the pesky little sister of The American Dragon. People looked at her and treated her with respect. In college, she was known only for being an outstanding student with a great understanding of how the human body worked. At her janitorial job, people thought she was a good kid who was gonna go far with her strong work ethic and knowledge. Her past had quit defining her the moment she'd left that town behind, and it was one of the reasons why she looked back only rarely. For better or worse, Aberdeen was home, but the feelings were too big for her to process.

She couldn't help but think about Drew, who was on the road with the Cruiserweight roster. In life, she knew that she had to own all the decisions she made, both good and bad. She'd done a terrible thing to Drew by leaving without telling him, and she knew that she had to live with whatever consequences he wanted to dole out. Back in the day, they could read each other like books; now, Ari couldn't tell what he was thinking whenever he looked at her. The warmth in his eyes whenever he greeted her now felt accusatory somehow. She was uneasy around him, waiting for him to lash out at her at any moment for the anguish she had put him through.

His invitation to follow him back to Philadelphia had surprised her. She assumed that he was too angry with her to even entertain the idea. The fact that he was still willing to open his home to her, still willing to greet her the way a best friend would made her feel even worse. She wished that he hated her, that he would hold a cruel insult on his tongue for her every time they were in contact. The guilt she felt for hurting him was bigger than anything she could comprehend; she'd never wanted to do that. She'd left to save him a lifetime of grief.

Drew had been a lifeline ever since she'd met him. Somehow, the two of them had clicked instantly, the two of them driven by their goals and ambitions. She'd never experienced that kind of synergy with another human being before. He was the first man outside of Bryan that she had been able to drop her guard with; there wasn't anything he didn't know about her. She trusted him with her life; even after everything, she still would lay down her life for him if he asked. She'd always suspected that Bryan had put the fear of God into him when it came to protecting her, but he was so genuine and earnest in looking after her that she couldn't help but think that he really did care about what happened to her.

She was pulled out of her thoughts by the intercom on the plane. They would be landing soon, and she knew that her mother would be waiting for her with open arms and a million questions about what she had been doing with her life that kept her away from everyone in the family for the last six years.

* * *

 **"Drew? Drew? Earth to Drew...is anyone home in there?"**

Blinking, Drew's world snapped back into focus as Brian waved his hand in front of Drew's face. The faces that looked back at Drew were amused. Jack, Brian, and Drew were currently enjoying lunch together in a pretty little cafe on the outskirts of Anaheim, California, a brown brick building hidden by trees and lush green shrubbery. It was a quick pit-stop; the men were due at the arena in a half-hour. Already dressed in their suits and ties, they sat on the outside deck enjoying the beautiful California weather. Above them the sky was bright and cloudless, the sun shining surprisingly bright so early in the day.

"Yeah?" Drew cleared his throat, reaching for his cup of iced tea.

"Did you even hear us?" Brian asked. Across the table, Jack watched Drew with an amused smile tugging at his mouth. Sipping on his tea, Jack's eyes sparkled mischievously as Drew seemed to squirm under Brian's interrogation.

"Sorry. I guess my mind's on other things this morning," Drew confessed sheepishly. The men nodded.

"Have you talked to her since she got on the plane?" Jack asked. Drew's eyes snapped up to him, unable to keep the surprise off his face.

"Am I that easy to read, guys?"

"Yeah," they replied in unison. Drew huffed.

"Have you spoken to her?"

"No. I mean, I've been thinking about shooting her a message, but she's probably getting settled." There was more to it, the other men could tell, but Drew wasn't about to get into the business of advertising the intimate details of Ari's life. He knew that she loved her family, adopted and biological, but Aberdeen was a tough place for her to go. The more he'd learned about her during their time together, the more he had understood why she'd chosen to go to school across the country, on a completely different coast. It was her first time in her hometown in six years, and he knew that she was going to need some time to adjust.

"Are you going to call her after the show tonight?" Jack asked. Drew shot him a chagrined look.

"Maybe." Drew lifted his fork. "You're being a real ball-buster today."

"You've just been making it easy lately," Jack retorted. Drew snorted.

"Duly noted."

"You two have picked up where you left off?" Brian asked. Drew sighed.

"I don't know. I guess. Sometimes we talk and it feels like nothing's changed, and sometimes it just feels...weird." He shook his head. "She makes no mention of why she left, and sometimes I think I should push the issue. I mean, whatever made her just pack up and peace out on her entire life had to be a really big deal. Leaving a whole life behind isn't an easy decision to make."

"You really have no idea what happened?" Jack asked. He shook his head.

"Nope. I've been over it over and over." Six years later, he could still remember every detail clearly. "I had a run of shows in Canada. When I came back, she was gone. Without a trace." He shook his head. "She had been in such a bad place. It scared the hell out of me. I watched her go from the Ari I knew, this bright, beautiful, vibrant woman, and she just kind of shrank into herself. And I couldn't pull her out. I tried, but the hole she fell in was just too deep." Brian and Jack looked at each other. Drew's mouth pulled into a thin line. "She says there's no good answer she can give, and as much as I hate to admit it, I know that she's right. Six years...there really isn't."

"But you were friends," Brian pointed out.

"Best friends," Drew corrected. "At least, I thought so."

"Are you going to see her again before she leaves?" Brian asked.

"Yeah. She's gonna be coming back out with Bryan for a show, and then she's coming back to Philly with me. I'm gonna take her to see some of her old crew, take her to some old stomping grounds..." He trailed off when he saw the expressions on Jack and Brian's faces. He sighed. "Don't look at me like that."

"Look at you like what? You just...failed to mention that development," Jack informed him.

"I didn't see the need to."

"You afraid to tell us or something?" Brian asked. Drew rolled his eyes.

"You know what it is - a gentleman never kisses and tells," Jack told him. Brian snickered. Drew's expression was bemused.

"I hate you two. So much."

"You'll get over it," Jack replied flippantly. He took a sip of his tea. "This tea is lovely today, I must say."

"You are the absolute worst," Drew accused. He looked to Brian for support but found none.

"She staying with you?" Brian asked.

"This conversation is over."


	10. Chapter 10

**Chapter Ten**

* * *

 ** _2009_**

 _"Ari? Earth to Ari…Is anyone home in there?"_

 _"What?"_

 _The sound of Drew's voice in her ears snapped Ari from her thoughts with a blink of her eyes. Her gaze shifted from the glass of rum and Coke she absently swirled on the Formica tabletop to the man sitting across from her. Their eyes locked, mint on chocolate, and the two of them exchanged tight, bemused smiles with one another._

 _It was quickly approaching midnight, and the two of them were seated at a back table at Grumpy's Tavern, removed from the pleasant buzz of conversation happening around the dimly lit bar. While they were both teetering on the edge of exhaustion, Drew was willing to bet money that it was far more visible on Ari than it was on him; after all, this was his life – he'd been wrestling for years. He was used to functioning on a steady diet of chaos and insomnia._

 _He wanted to be at home, face-planted in his bed, fast asleep, but staring at the woman sitting across from him, Drew realized there was nowhere else he'd rather be._

 _The bloodstained duo had been at the bar for close to forty minutes. Ari was only halfway through her rum and Coke, confirming Drew's suspicions that not only was she not a heavy drinker, but she wasn't enjoying the drink he'd bought her. He was pretty sure she was trying to finish her drink in an effort to be polite. Ever the responsible adult, Drew was nursing a large glass of water that was garnished with a lemon wedge._

 _He studied her intently. Her eyes looked vacant; it was almost as if she were staring right through him. Red stained her clothing and matted her hair. His sad, tight smile turned into a frown as his eyes fell on the red welt across her cheek that was definitely going to morph into a bruise in a few hours. It had been a complete accident on Moxley's part, and he'd apologized when it had happened, but it had been enough to mark her._

 _Cutting Jon Moxley out of barbed wire and stitching him up had been a thoroughly exhausting and traumatizing experience for both of them. The things he'd said to Ari left Drew infuriated; Moxley had said things so personal that Ari found herself shaking while she worked._

 _She'd begged and pleaded with him to go to the hospital. Drew had tried to do the same, but Moxley wasn't listening to a word he had to say. Ari pleaded; she'd explained to him that she didn't have anything to numb him while she stitched. But he hadn't cared. He'd jolted and shifted when the needle pierced his skin the first time, his elbow catching Ari hard in the side of her face. It happened so fast; Ari's head had rocked back so violently that he was sure she had whiplash._

 _The moment his elbow made contact with her flesh everything came to a screeching halt. Drew had been horrified; he'd rushed to Ari to look her over. The hit seemed to sober up Moxley. Ari, on the other hand, seemed to shut down the moment she was struck. Drew saw her shrink before them; every movement that followed after had been done in silence, out of pure instinct. Since then she'd been borderline catatonic, not speaking, keeping her head down and doing the best work she could with hands that violently trembled. When she was done, Drew had tried to get her to take a shower, but she needed to leave. She didn't want to stay in the building for another moment; she wanted the night to end._

 _"I'm sorry," she offered quietly._

 _"Ari…"_

 _"Am I masochist? God, I don't know why I keep doing this to myself."_

 _Drew offered her a sympathetic smile. It was all he could do; words failed him. Moxley had cast a spell over her, the way that he seemed to do with so many other women who came to the shows. She did everything he asked of her, against her better judgment sometimes, and Drew always got to watch the despair she felt in the aftermath. Instead of offering her advice or lecturing her the way he was sure Bryan would, Drew just kept his mouth shut and listened while she poured her heart and soul out to him. The last thing he wanted to do was make her feel worse._

 _He looked at her cup, his mouth twisting at the spot of blood on her knuckles. Eight of her ten fingers were bandaged; two of her fingers were striped with Band-Aids. The battle scars were a consolation prize for following Moxley's request, for caring about his health and his well-being. She'd tried to be careful, but in the end, his unpredictability had wounded her. Drew couldn't think of a more apt situation to describe Jon Moxley if he tried._

 _Even though they were both barely making ends meet, Ari had quietly offered to pay Drew's dry-cleaning bill when she saw Moxley had gotten blood on Drew's shirt. While he didn't have a lot of nice dress shirts to spare, there was no way he was going to let her spend money on him. It struck him that she was taking the blame for everything in the situation, especially after getting hit in the face. While it had been an accident that left Moxley and Drew mortified, it had the effect of flipping a switch; Drew saw the lights go out almost immediately. Since then, he'd been struggling to get the lights back on._

 _It had been his idea to stop and get a drink. He'd pitched it in the car. She'd barely acknowledged it. He thought a stiff drink would steady her nerves and bring her back to reality, but so far the plan had mixed results._

 _"I'm sorry. I'm not normally like this," she offered, sniffling softly. Drew nodded._

 _"I know – that's why we're here," he told her. They fell silent for a few moments. Drew took a sip of his water. He looked around the bar, scanning his surroundings. A group of bros were surrounding the pool table, ready to play a few games while they got a good buzz going. "Do you need to talk about it?"_

 _"No," she said with a sigh, looking down at her fingers. "I just want to forget tonight ever happened." Leaning back and slouching a little in her chair, she huffed. "God, I'm such an idiot."_

 _"No. You're not. You're easily the smartest person I know."_

 _"I've seen the crew you roll with – it's not really high praise." Drew snorted._

 _"They have their moments." He sighed. "But you're right – they do a lot of stupid shit. Not on the Moxley scale, but stupid shit, nonetheless. I can agree with that."_

 _"Anything to get their name out there, right?"_

 _"That sounds awfully jaded, Ari," Drew teased. She shook her head, lips pursing into a thin line. She was quiet for a few moments, lost deep in thought. She took a really small sip of her drink._

 _"Have I ever told you about the first time I ever went to a wrestling show?"_

 _"No." It was on the tip of Drew's tongue to add that she hardly ever spoke of her life before Philadelphia, but he kept his words under lock and key. There was a lot about her that left him curious, but he never wanted to pry and make her uncomfortable. "What was it like?"_

 _"I was fifteen. I begged Bryan to take me with him. He was doing this backyard wrestling show in a small town just past the Idaho border. I can't even remember the promotion's name now, but it was so bush league."_

 _"Ah, a hot dog and handshake sort of deal. Been there," Drew added with a smirk._

 _"The match before Bryan was full of bad ideas. Barbed wire, fluorescent lights. But their big spot at the end had them light a table on fire. The one guy…he went through the table, and he just…went up in flames. I'd never seen anything like that before. The scream…_

 _"I jumped into action right away. This place was so low-rent that the ring apron was literally just ropes with blankets draped over it." Drew facepalmed. "I grabbed one and dove on the guy to put him out." She shook her head. "I thought I did this great thing, using my first aid knowledge to help save a life, but Bryan went_ ballistic _."_

 _"Seriously?"_

 _"Yeah. It was a big brother thing. He_ hated _the idea of me putting myself in danger. After that, he refused to let me go back out on the road with him. I think I embarrassed him. I never went on the road with him again until the year I graduated. I was so surprised, because_ he _offered to bring me out to see Ring of Honor. I jumped on it. I was about to head out here for college, and I didn't know when I'd get to see him again."_

 _"What made him cave?"_

 _Ari stared at her drink. "I don't know," she told him honestly. "But he did, and it was one of the best weekends I've ever had with my brother." She took another super small sip._

 _"Was the guy okay? I mean, he went to the hospital, right?"_

 _She looked Drew in the eye. "I mean, yeah. God, I mean, I learned at a young age how to do a lot of things. I can stitch. I can suture. I can treat almost any kind of wound and infection known to man. I've taken just about every health, wellness, and first aid course there's been to take since I was thirteen. If I even started listing the courses I've taken, my head would probably start spinning." She looked back at her glass and shrugged. "In spite of everything I know, in all my experience…there's just some things, and there are some times, where you just need a fucking hospital. If I had half a brain I would have told Moxley that tonight." She punctuated her angry statement with a big swig of her drink, grimacing as she swallowed all of it._

 _"Why first aid?" he asked. The way her eyes darkened made him regret asking the question._

 _"Huh. I don't think I'm drunk enough to talk about_ that _," she answered honestly. Drew nodded, but he would have been lying if he said he wasn't suddenly fascinated by her past life. It struck him that after all their time as friends, she was still withholding a lot of information about herself from him. He wondered if it was out of fear, if she was afraid that he would change his opinion of her if he knew the things she'd done._

 _"Maybe one day," he mused._

 _"Maybe." The word sounded cold on her lips. "I think I'm ready to call it a night."_

 _"Whenever you're ready."_

 _"I should finish this. I could just call a cab…"_

 _"Nonsense. Your place is on my way home anyway."_

 _She looked down at her drink. "If it's okay…I think I just want to go." He nodded, shifting in his chair so he could reach for his jacket hanging on the back of his seat._

 _Outside, Ari found herself comforted by the cold air, though she winced as the breeze hit her swollen cheek. Drew led her across the parking lot gently, his hand ghosting over her spine in a way that was downright gentlemanly, moving ahead of her so he could open the passenger door for her to get inside. He made sure she was comfortable inside before shutting the door. While he rounded the front of the car to get the driver's side, Ari looked out the window at the bar and found she couldn't help but think about what Jon was doing. Did Sami take him to the hospital like he had promised? Or was Jon drinking his pain away at another bar? Did he find a house party to crash with free booze, or did he find a woman to share a bed with? She looked at her bandaged fingers and gasped at the crushing feeling she felt inside her chest._

 _The drive back to her apartment was quiet. Every now and then Drew's gaze would shift to her, taking in the way she leaned her head against the window, head on her hand. He wished he could help her feel better somehow, but there wasn't a whole lot he could do but be there when she needed to talk._

 _Pulling to a stop on the curb outside her apartment, he watched her fish through her bag for her keys. "Thanks."_

 _"You'd do it for me in a second," he told her. She nodded._

 _"I would."_

 _"I'll pick you up tomorrow morning before I go to work so you can get your car." She nodded._

 _"Thank you." She got out of the car, surprised when he did the same. He rounded the car. "What are you doing?"_

 _"Walking you to your door," he told her, holding his arms out, his gaze incredulous. "It's late, and I want to make sure you make it home safely."_

 _"Always a gentleman," she told him with a roll of her eyes. The exhaustion in her voice had tempered her tone._

 _"It's the way my parents raised me," he told her with a grin._

 _"Drew…just go home."_

 _"I will when I see you've made it inside safely," he told her. "Not negotiable."_

 _They stared at each other for a few moments. She rolled her eyes, but a smile began to tug at the corners of her mouth. They fell into step together, walking towards the stairs that would lead up to her apartment. "If you need anything, call me, okay?"_

 _"Drew, you need to sleep. I'm not going to call you."_

 _"I mean it." They stopped at the foot of the stairs. He looked her in the eyes. Instead of finding a nice way around his words, he found himself blurting out his thoughts. "I'm worried about you, Ari."_

 _"I'm fine," she insisted. "Please don't worry about me, okay? I promise. I'm just going to have a shower, throw out these clothes, sleep, and I'll be just fine in the morning." There wasn't a lot of conviction in her voice, but she knew Drew wasn't going to believe her, no matter how convincing she was. They made their way up the stairs, walking along the concrete path to her apartment door._

 _"Ice your cheek down before you call it a night."_

 _"I will." They came to a stop in front of her door. "Well…here we are. Go home and get some rest."_

 _"I will. I'll text you when I'm on my way in the morning, okay?"_

 _"Sounds like a plan."_

 _"Get some rest."_

 _"You, too."_

 _Drew turned and began to walk away. He was only a few steps away when she called out to him. "Drew?"_

 _He turned back to her. "Yeah?"_

 _It was then that she pounced, trapping him in the tightest embrace he'd ever received. She held onto him as if he were her anchor, keeping her steady in a sea of chaos. It only took him a fraction of a second to hold her just as tightly, stroking her hair with his left hand, whispering words of comfort when the sound of her sniffles hit his ears._

* * *

 **Ari wasn't sure if it was a welcome development or an indictment of her hometown, but Aberdeen was exactly the way she'd remembered it, down to the dreary grey sky and the drizzle of rain.** She stared out the passenger window, her eyes glazed with reverie, the dam of repressed memories breaking under the weight of being back home. There seemed to be a story and a memory for every location that passed her by. Some memories made her smile sadly; others left her hands shaking and left her flooded with a twinge of retrospective embarrassment.

Aberdeen had shown her both sides of humanity, kindness and gentility sprinkled in a sea of cynicism and ridicule. She supposed if she had been younger, instead of thirteen; if she had been too young to understand what had happened, things could have been different for a while. But she'd been old enough to read the papers and watch the news, keen enough to see the way the parents of her classmates stared at her, a mixture of fear and disgust that still remained at the forefront of her mind so many years later. While Ari loved the beauty of Aberdeen, its sleepy quality and its rain, she didn't consider it home. There was too much baggage here, too much pain beneath its quaint charm, too much judgment to every truly feel at peace.

"How does it feel to be back?"

Ari turned her head to her adoptive mother, Dr. Barb Danielson, her smile both tight and sad. "It's strange," she confessed, staring back out the window. "This place hasn't changed very much. I don't know why I expected it to."

"It's changed." Ari turned back. "Sure, it has. Your old bedroom is an arts and crafts room now." Ari couldn't help but laugh. "The bed is still in there – it's just pushed against the wall now to make room for the craft table."

"You finally got around to that." It wasn't a question, just a general, flat statement. Barb nodded. "I'm surprised you didn't do it when I left for college."

"Oh, I thought about it, but I wasn't sure if you were going to come home after you graduated." There was a pause between the two of them. "It's nice to have you home, Arista. It's been too long."

"I'm sorry," she offered. No matter how much she apologized on this trip, it never seemed to feel good enough in her ears. "I left, and then I blinked, and six years passed. It's so awkward being back."

"You're home now, and that's what matters," she said. "You look great. I'm happy to see you."

"I'm happy to see you, too. It's been a bit overwhelming trying to fit everyone in, but it's been so nice to catch up."

"How long do I have you for?"

"A couple weeks. I'm gonna meet Brie and Bryan at _Money in the Bank_ , and from there I'm gonna head to Philly for a while and see everyone out there."

"That should be nice. Have you spoken to anyone out there yet?"

"Just Drew."

"Well, that's a name from the past," she remarked. "I haven't heard his name in forever. You used to talk about him so much, and then you just stopped."

"Well. we kind of fell out of touch for a little bit. You know, life." Ari knew she was oversimplifying things, but she didn't want to go into things any further. Luckily, her mother didn't push for any answers.

"It can happen. How is he doing?"

"Great. Him and Bryan are colleagues now." She shook her head. "It's kind of weird how many people I knew back then are in the big leagues now, but it's kind of heartening." Ari looked back out the window. "I didn't expect to see so many familiar faces."

"That's good, though." They fell silent for a few moments. The car turned onto another street. Ari watched vaguely familiar homes and trees pass her by. "Are you planning on seeing her while you're here?"

The question hung in the air between them. After a few moments, Ari took a deep breath. "I don't know. I haven't decided yet. I've been going back and forth. I feel like I should, but…I don't know. I guess I've got a few weeks to figure that out, don't I?"

"You do. Just remember you don't have to feel obligated to do anything while you're here. Just enjoy your time and do what's best for you." They came to a stop at the light. "How was your time in Phoenix?"

"It was nice. I've never been. Brie is a hell of a tour guide. She knows every little shop in that city, I swear." She smiled. "Have you been out there at all?"

"I made a trip out there last summer while Bryan had some time off." Ari knew that it had to be hard for Barb, to have so much distance between her son and her granddaughter, but his life of traveling the world made her used to it. "I probably won't be able to head out there until Brie has the next one."

"Yeah, she was mentioning she wants to expand," Ari said. The idea of settling down, with a house and kids and a picket fence, was such a foreign concept to Ari. While she'd known some normality living with the Danielson family, she'd long ago abandoned the fantasy; over the years, she'd decided that things like that weren't for girls like her.

Drew had mentioned wanting those things, back in the days when they talked about everything and anything under the sun. He wasn't sure how he was ever going to balance it with his schedule, but he was sure that he didn't want to go through life alone. Ari understood the desire to share life with someone, but trust was a hard thing for her. There were a small number of people – small enough that she could count them on one hand – that she believed in. Drew was one of them. She trusted him with her life.

The car pulled into the driveway, and Ari's thoughts ceased. Everything about Aberdeen cast a giant shadow over her, the memories leaving her dazed and overwhelmed. The home she'd spent her teen years in looked exactly the way she remembered it, save for the new chrysanthemums and gardenias in the garden.

She got out of the car, blinking as the rain hit her nose. Turning, she looked down the street. "The Gardeners still across the street?" she asked.

"Michael died last year of a heart attack. Eva moved back home to take care of Edith."

"Oh, jeez." Ari ran a hand through her hair, giving it a quick ruffle. She remembered Eva, the ringleader of the cool kids, the one who was quick to tell all the other kids information Ari wished could have stayed secret. Eva listened to her parents and parroted everything they said. There was a time where the bullying had been so bad that Barb had thought about home school for Ari, but somehow she'd pushed through it. By high school, things had evened out, though she remained a pariah. By then, it didn't bother her as much as it did when she was a child; she was too busy cramming herself full of medical courses, studying, and preparing for college. Ari stared at the Gardener house and smiled; she could say with absolute certainty that she was the first one in her biological family to attend and graduate college.

She rounded the vehicle to meet Barb, who opened the trunk. Ari reached in and grabbed her bag. "You could always stop in and say hello," Barb told her. "Eva's been pretty lonely since the divorce, and with her mom and her dad…I'm sure she'd like the ear."

Ari nodded. "I wouldn't mind just getting settled in first."

"Of course."

Together, they walked up the driveway, Barb moving a few steps ahead to unlock the door for Ari. Standing on the front stoop, Ari turned once more to look at the Gardener house, feeling a twinge of sympathy for a girl who had caused her so much pain so long ago. She walked into the house, putting her luggage down beside the coat-rack to take off her shoes. Her eyes fell on the staircase, and she couldn't help but think about her senior prom. Bryan had been her date. She'd come down those stairs, and Barb had wanted a picture of the two of them together, and neither of them wanted to do it, but they had. Ari smiled; Bryan had a black eye for her prom, thanks to a mistimed shot during a match a few days before. He'd been very against having pictures, but they had ended up with a couple.

It wasn't her plan to go to prom. She had no real friends in high school, just people she was cordial with, and nobody asked her out. Her plan was to stay at home and start making preparations to move out to Philadelphia, but Barb and Bryan had been on her case about it, promising her that she would regret it if she didn't go.

"I'm just going to take this up to my room. I'll be right down."

"Okay."

Ari picked up her suitcase and made her way up the stairs for the first time in a long time. Family photographs lined the wall, and Ari saw there were even pictures of Bryan's wrestling career, including his _WrestleMania XXX_ win. Confetti streamed down around him as he held two belts in his hand. It was only a year or so after that when Bryan found himself blindsided by forced retirement. Looking at the picture, she knew it was the happiest moment of his professional life. WWE was the goal for every wrestler, the chance to get their craft seen on the biggest stage with the most eyes watching. Not only did Bryan make it to the big leagues, but he'd thrived in spite of terrible curve-balls.

Her old bedroom had changed. All the posters of movies and musicians she loved were long gone, the girlish bedding she'd taken with her to Philadelphia. It was now replaced with a plain gray duvet and white pillows, an almost sterile look. There were plastic drawers everywhere, filled with beads, paints, canvas, needles, and anything else Barb could think of. _Bird would love this_ , she thought to herself with a smile. Placing her suitcase beside the door, Ari walked further into the bedroom that had used to be hers. The walls were still a neutral taupe colour, but it was in need of a fresh coat.

Pulling back the white lace curtains, Ari looked out the window. The rain was falling a bit heavier now, the heavy raindrops bouncing off the roof of the car. She let the curtain fall back into place before she walked over to the bed and sat down, her hands clasped on her lap. She looked around a room that had once been her sanctuary.

 _This is weird. All of this just feels so weird._

* * *

 **"Ugh."**

Legs straight, Drew fell forward onto the bed in his hotel room, landing on the mattress face-first. Across the room, Tony dropped his bag beside Drew's, observing his roommate with a smirk. It resembled a tree falling in the woods, a Greg Valentine-calibre drop. "I've never been so happy to see you," Drew murmured into the pillow.

"You're ridiculous," Tony told him.

" _You're_ ridiculous," Drew shot back, shifting his head so he could speak unmuffled by the sheets. He was exhausted; it had been a long day, saying goodbye to Ari, dealing with the guys, and then heading to _205 Live_ where he had a very physical match with Mustafa Ali.

His stomach rumbled, and he groaned. "I need to eat, but I don't want to move," he announced.

"I don't know how to help you there, man," Tony told him, moving over to his bed. They were quiet as Tony turned on the television. "Have you heard from her at all since she left?"

"No. I was thinking about texting her, but she's probably settling in." Drew shifted so he could roll onto his back. He looked over at Tony. "What do you think I should do here?"

"Whatever you want to do."

"That is a terrible answer."

"Well, I'm a terrible friend." Drew snorted. "What? I'm not that guy. You want sage advice, talk to Ali."

"That dirty high-flyer? Not on your life." The two men shared a snicker. Drew clapped his hands over his face and sighed. "I should probably shoot her a message and make sure she got in okay. But after food." He propped himself up on his elbows. Tony changed the channel.

"Is there even anything open at this hour?"

"I don't know. But I don't have the energy to go out and look. There's gotta be a vending machine around here somewhere." Drew let his arms collapse and he fell back down onto the bed. "Ugh. I don't know what I want to do more – eat or sleep."

"If it were humanly possible, I'm sure you'd do both."

His stomach rumbled again. "Fine." Drew sat up and pulled himself off the bed. "I'm gonna see if I can go find a vending machine or something. You want anything?"

"Nah, I'm good. I'm getting ready to call it."

"Okay. If you change your mind, shoot me a text." Tony nodded. Drew walked across the room and slipped his shoes back on before leaving the hotel room.

The hallway was well-lit, with dark grey carpet and taupe wallpaper that appeared gold under the lights. Drew moved down the hallway, his gaze on his phone, debating whether or not he should send a text message to Ari.

He hated this. Back in the day, he could send her a text without second guessing his entire existence. One of these days, they were going to have to have a serious talk, and he hoped to do it when she was in Philadelphia, unable to run or ignore his messages. He needed some answers. Even if she felt like they weren't good enough answers to give them, he still wanted to hear it. With a sigh, he used his thumb to tap on her name in his contacts list.

 _Hey. I know it's late. You're probably asleep. Just wanted to see if you made it back okay._

He came across the third floor vending machine, silently cursing when he saw the paper with OUT OF ORDER typed on it tacked to the front with tape. Shaking his head, he made his way to the elevator. As the doors slid shut, he was surprised by his phone vibrating in his hand. He looked, expecting to see Tony changed his mind; instead, he saw it was a text message from Ari.

 _Can't sleep. I'll be up a while. Made it and got settled in okay. Shouldn't you be sleeping?_

 _I will be after I eat something._ The elevator doors slid open with a ding and Drew crossed the lobby. He was sure he saw a vending machine just off the pool area. He made a turn just before the desk and walked down the corridor that led towards the pool.

 _How did 205 go?_

 _Good. What did you do tonight, since you weren't watching the show?_

He waited for her to respond to that, a grin tugging at the corner of his mouth when she replied. _I'll have to stream it later. Is there a pop quiz or something?_

 _Something._ He exited the side door on the far left, ending up in another hallway of rooms. _What are you up to?_

He found the vending machine, between the ice machine and the soda machine. His eyes scanned the selection; it would have to do until everything opened up in the morning. He slid the change into the machine and got himself a bag of Cheez-It's and a Twix. His phone went off as the Twix bar fell into the bottom.

 _Just in bed. Trying to sleep. It's been a long, weird day._

Drew's eyes narrowed. _You want me to call? We can talk about it if you want._

He began to make his way back towards the elevator. He stopped when his phone went off. _I appreciate that, but you need to get some rest. You've probably got to be on the road early tomorrow._

 _Not that early,_ he typed out with one hand. _But I am definitely at risk of crashing sooner rather than later._

 _I know. I'll let you go so you can sleep. Sweet dreams._

The last two words made Drew jolt. His eyes kept scanning over it. Their correspondence had been pretty sterile since she'd come back from Honduras. This was a personal touch, and he wasn't expecting it. The tug in his chest left him sucking in a breath. It was a touch of normality that he had been craving between the two of them.

 _Sweet dreams, Ari. I'll hit you up in the morning._


	11. Chapter 11

**Chapter Eleven**

* * *

 _ **2010**_

I really hate to do this, Ari, but I need to ask a _huge_ favour.

 _Fresh out of her lab for the afternoon, Ari leaned against the wall beside the door of her class and scanned the text message on the screen of her phone with narrowed eyes. It had been a long afternoon, and the lab had been trickier to nail down than previous endeavours. She'd spent the better part of the class irritated and frustrated that it wasn't clicking into place with her, only to have everything come together as the lab was coming to an end. She wished she could have a hard reset on her day and do a little better._

 _It was just past three in the afternoon, and Ari had less than three hours to get home, shower, change, eat, and get started on her homework before she had to report to her shift at six. Monday to Friday was always a hard grind, but she always reminded herself that the reward in the end would make the lack of a life worth it. Depending on the day, sometimes it was hard to see the forest for the trees. When she was exhausted and felt like she was on the brink of insanity, sometimes it was hard to believe juggling so many things would ever be worth it._

 _As she read the message once more, her thoughts began to race in a million different directions. She was surprised; Drew was as self-sufficient as she was. It was very,_ very _rare that the man asked her for_ anything _. She could count the number of times he'd asked her for anything on one hand in the entire time they'd known each other. Chewing on her lower lip, she quickly fired back a response._

Are you okay? How big of a favour are we talking here? _Ari sent the message off before pushing herself off the wall, narrowly avoiding a group of guys walking past. They were talking loudly, laughing about some show she'd never heard of, all of them dressed in pop culture T-shirts and jeans, high-fiving each other and quoting obscure inside jokes she wasn't privy to. She readjusted her backpack over her left shoulder and made her way down the crowded hallway, looking for the first side exit she could slide out of. Pushing her body against a side door, she shoved her way outside._

 _It was a nice afternoon, not too hot or too cold, but the perfect temperature for someone like her. The sky was a pale blue, the clouds only slightly tinged with grey. She'd heard on the radio on her way to school that morning that rain was in the forecast, but she wasn't sure if it was going to happen; it was too nice of a day to believe it could veer in that direction._

 _She scanned her surroundings, trying to remember where she parked from where she exited. Stuck in her thoughts, she was startled by the phone vibrating in her hand. She quickly checked the message, hoping there was nothing serious happening with Drew._

I'm fine, thank you. It's not for me. I got this new student. She just moved here and the place she's staying at isn't ready for her to move in yet. She needs a place for like, a week, tops. I know it's no notice whatsoever, and I normally wouldn't ask, but you're literally my last hope here. _Ari couldn't help but smile as she read the last sentence._

Does this student of yours have a name? _Ari sent the message quick. Looking both ways, she began to cross the parking lot. Her car was parked at the back, about as far away as one could get. She didn't get another response until she made it to the driver's side door._

Kim. I'm really sorry. You know I wouldn't ask if I weren't desperate…

 _Ari nodded, even though he wasn't standing in front of her._ Do you vouch for her? _While she waited for him to answer, she opened the back door and shoved her backpack inside. She slipped into the driver's seat and sat back against the seat. The last time she'd tried to play Good Samaritan with someone at Combat Zone, she'd noticed a few small things missing in her apartment. Drew had promised to deal with it, and while she'd gotten some things back, she hadn't gotten everything. She'd never heard his name mentioned again._

If I didn't vouch for her, I wouldn't be asking.

 _Ari nodded. He was right; he'd never put her in a situation where she'd feel unsafe._ Is she in town now, or is she on her way to town?

 _She didn't start the car right away; instead, she sat in the driver's side and waited for the conversation with Drew to come to an end._ She's in town. I'm just finishing up a class with her. I can bring her out after.

 _Ari sighed._ I'm just on my way home. I'll meet you there.

 _His response was almost immediate._ Thank you, Ari. I owe you HUGE.

 _She shook her head._ I don't keep score. See you at my place. _Tossing her phone on the passenger's seat, Ari started the car and made her way back home._

 _Pulling into her parking space, Ari was relieved she'd made it first. Her shower would have to be fast; she wasn't sure what time Drew was going to be leaving with his student, but she knew it was a fifteen-minute drive from the building to her apartment, so she had a small window of time. She took the steps two at a time, moving briskly to her door. Once she was inside, she dropped her backpack beside the shoe rack and kicked off her runners. Pulling her phone out of her pocket, she dropped it on the couch on her way to the bathroom. It was the fastest shower she'd ever had._

 _Changed into a pair of black sweatpants and a black T-shirt, wet curls pulled into a bun, Ari made her way to the kitchen to brew a cup of tea, her usual ritual after class. She rifled through the cupboard, settling on green tea over all else. She leaned against the counter and wondered what her new roommate for the next week was going to be like. It wasn't the first time she'd put a wrestler up in her home; but it was the first one that Drew had asked her to put up. She'd hoped it wouldn't be a problem like the last one; Drew had been so angry._

 _Ari was deep in thought when Drew arrived with Kim, his loud knocking on the door pulling her back to reality. Ari moved quickly to the door, unlocking it and opening it quick. Drew stood on the other side, dressed in black basketball shorts and a maroon V-neck T-shirt. Ari assumed it was Kim behind him, a timid-looking blonde in a baggy red shirt that fell off her right shoulder, with jean shorts and sandals. Her hair was pulled back and clipped. "Hey. Come on in. I just need to go get the kettle off the burner."_

 _She left them, moving quick as the kettle began to whistle. She poured her cup of tea and turned off the element, placing the kettle down on another burner. "Does anyone want a cup?" she asked._

 _"I'm okay," Drew called back._

 _"I'm okay," Kim echoed. Ari rounded the corner. Drew opened his arms and she walked into them._

 _"Thank you so much for doing this," Drew told her, hugging her tightly. She laughed, hugging him back._

 _"It's no problem. It's just a couch."_

 _"It's better than nothing," Kim told her. "My car is just packed in the backseat."_

 _"I wouldn't let you sleep in a car if I had a couch available," Ari assured her. She turned to Kim and extended her hand. "I'm Ari, by the way. It's nice to meet you."_

 _"Kim. Thank you so much. Drew speaks highly of you."_

 _"Oh, he does not," Ari said with a laugh. She looked at Drew, who blanched at Kim's announcement. "He just says that because I come in and stitch up his friends for free."_

 _"All this and modest, too," Drew drawled. Ari bumped him with her shoulder and snickered._

 _"So where are you from?" Ari asked._

 _"Seattle."_

 _"Seattle? I'm from Aberdeen," Ari replied. Kim grinned. Ari looked at Drew. "I see what you've done here."_

 _"There's always a method to his madness," Kim jumped in._

 _"I always tell you I'm smarter than I look," Drew joked._

 _"He's the best trainer you can have," Ari told her. "This guy knows his stuff."_

 _He looked at her, touched. "Thank you."_

 _"I have to work at six, so you'll have this place to yourself tonight," Ari told her. "I'm usually home just after one. I'll make sure I'm quiet when I come home."_

 _"Thank you again for doing this," Kim told her. Drew nodded._

 _"I owe you one. But I gotta get going. We'll get together this weekend, okay?"_

 _"Sure thing. Maybe we'll do dinner here," she told him._

 _"Sounds like a plan." He gave her another hug. "I owe you huge."_

 _"It's fine. I promise."_

 _"You got a heart of gold, Ari." He pulled away from her. "Have a good shift."_

 _"I'll see you this weekend." The two women watched as he let himself out. Ari turned to Kim. There was an awkward beat of silence between the two of them. Ari smiled. "Come on – it's not a big apartment but let me give you the five-cent tour."_

* * *

 **Dressed in black leggings and a black tank top underneath a white and grey striped cardigan, her hair pulled back in a loose braid, Ari held her cup of coffee close to her chest and looked out the living room window.** Across the road, Eva Gardener was out on the front lawn with her dog, a small Pomeranian. She watched her, debating whether or not she should go outside and talk with her.

There was a time when Ari had both longed to be Eva and had despised her at the same time. Tall and beautiful, Eva had been the epitome of the cool girl all through school. She was the ringleader, the one who had all her friends who were willing to do whatever she said, the girl who was always on top of fashion trends. It had all gone to her head early, and for years she had been Ari's worst nightmare. The cruel words she'd spoken to Ari and the untruths she'd spread around school haunted Ari until she left town, made her constantly feel uncomfortable in her own skin.

 _We're all adults now. Those days are gone,_ Ari thought to herself. _She's had her own tragedies, her own curveballs._ Ari was a little ashamed to realize that she still held a bit of a grudge for everything that she'd been through. Even though she was living in a beautiful place, with a nice little house and beautiful trails to jog, with a great career that she thoroughly enjoyed, there was still a little voice in the back of her head that told her that she was a fraud. That everyone would find out about her past and it would all be over. It felt like she was always running from the Aberdeen chapter of her life; it was exhausting.

Now, Ari and Eva were across the road from one another, with a good amount of time passed between them, their lives an almost comically cruel reversal of fortunes. Eva had been so popular and so loved; now, she was back home with her parents, divorced and alone, grieving with her mother and wondering what had happened to her life. On the other side of the road, while she was still struggling with the emotions that came with returning to the States, Ari did have a life that she was proud of, that she'd built from the ground up after leaving everything she'd ever known. She'd come from a broken environment that could hardly be considered a home, and somehow she'd turned out all right. Ari knew a lot of that came with Barb adopting her at thirteen. She'd spent her life called unspeakable names because of her mother's reputation; she'd spent years being kept at arm's length by the other adults around her. Ari was a demon spawn, a bad seed, cheap and filthy like her mother.

There were times where she honestly thought death would be the only escape from all of it. She was thankful for Barb, who talked her through the days when the world was too much to bear, and she was grateful for the scholarship that got her out of the town, across the country, and into a new life where she had friends who knew nothing about her past. If she'd acted on those thoughts when she was a teenager, she would have never met Drew, or seen the world. Her life wasn't perfect – she'd never known perfect – but she was proud of her life. She had a decent savings account, and while she built that, she educated people to survive the absolute worst that life could throw at them. Her life had been full of hardships and tragedy for so long, but in the end, she'd turned it around and found a way to help others while doing it. On the days when she struggled with the decisions she'd made, the knowledge that she was helping others made it a little easier to look at her reflection in the mirror.

With a sigh, Ari slid her feet into a pair of slippers and made her way outside. It was a grey morning, but there was no sign of rain. The sun was trying to burn through the grey clouds, leaving Ari to doubt whether or not it was going to rain later on in the day. She shut the door softly and made her way down the driveway, sipping her coffee.

Sensing the new presence, Eva looked up from her Pomeranian dog, her eyes narrowing. "Arista?"

"Good morning," she greeted with a gentle smile. Looking both ways across the street, Ari walked across the empty road, coming to a stop on the sidewalk in front of the white house lined with lilies. Ari studied the woman in front of her. In the years since they had last seen each other, Eva had cut the long layers of hair off, instead going for a cute bob. She was dressed in a long tan sweater with a turtleneck and black leggings. Ari noted that she looked frail. "It's been awhile."

"It has," Eva agreed. There was an awkward silence between the two of them. "Your mom mentioned you were coming back to the Northwest."

"Yeah. I had some vacation time I needed to take, and Bryan got some good news about his health, so I thought I'd come out and surprise him." Ari took a sip of her coffee. "Mom mentioned everything that's been happening with you and your family. I'm sorry."

"It's life," Eva said with a sigh, her shoulders curving. "You know how it can be."

"All too well," Ari told her quietly. She turned her attention to the dog on the lawn. "Who's this?"

"This is Suzie. I adopted her last month."

"Oh, she's just adorable." Ari crouched down to pet the dog. She straightened her posture and turned her attention back to Eva. "How's your mother doing?"

"She's doing okay. I mean, she's gutted about Dad like I am, but she's keeping it together." Ari nodded. They were quiet again. "I feel like I should apologize for the things I've done to you."

"We were kids," Ari told her.

"I'm embarrassed about some of the things I did to you back then," Eva confessed. "I couldn't imagine how hard things must have been for you. Looking back on it now, I don't know how you coped with it."

"I threw myself into courses and academics," Ari told her. "I told myself I'd rise above it if it killed me."

"I should have spent more time building skills," Eva confessed. "I probably wouldn't be where I am now."

"It's never too late," Ari assured her. "We're still young."

"You're right. All of _this_ has just made me feel old." Eva sighed. She turned her attention back to the house. "I should get inside. Mom should be up soon. We're going to see Dad at the cemetery today. It was good seeing you again. We should get a coffee while you're here. How long are you here for?"

"I'll be here until the middle of the month."

"Coffee sound good?"

Ari nodded. "It sounds great."

"Well…I'll see you around."

"I'll see you around." They said their goodbyes and Ari returned home. Her hands were trembling slightly. Everything was the same, but it somehow still felt different. Making peace with a childhood enemy was a strange feeling. She walked into the house and kicked off her slippers, padding across the living room to the kitchen to fix herself another cup of coffee. After talking with Eva, she went into the liquor cabinet and got herself a bottle of Bailey's to splash into her coffee. Ari looked at the time on the microwave and sighed; it wasn't even noon, and her nerves were already shot.

* * *

 **Ariya Daivari sat between Tony and Jack, watching Drew with a look of absolute wonder.** Across the table, Drew was shoveling into his enormous crepe, eating like he had been starving for weeks. Upon his first bite, the sound he made was inhuman to the trio's ears, causing the three men to exchange uncomfortable glances with each other. Drew looked up at the three of them, a dollop of whipped cream stuck to the side of his mouth. He shook his head.

"Don't even, guys - I'm fucking _starving_ ," Drew told them. "I was so busy at the show last night, I forgot to eat, and then everything was closed. I've had like, two bags of Cheez-It's and a chocolate bar to get me through."

"How you must have suffered," Jack drawled. Drew shot him a look, and Tony laughed.

" _I_ suffered - he bitched _all night_ ," Tony told them. The men laughed. Drew looked at Tony, chagrined. "You did. I'm not out here spreading lies."

"You guys are the worst. Why do I even hang out with you guys?"

"Because you love us," Jack shot back. Drew shook his head.

"There's no love in wrestling," Drew told him with a snort. Tony dabbed at the side of his mouth. It took Drew a moment to click in and he sheepishly reached for a napkin to wipe the whipped cream off the side of his mouth. "Thanks, dick."

"Speaking of love, have you spoken to Ari at all?" Jack asked. Drew shot him a look.

"You and Noam. I'm having both of you deported." He looked at Tony, who was biting back laughter. "You see the shit I have to put up with? All of you - the absolute _worst_."

"Why are you trying to have Noam Dar deported?" Ariya asked. Jack grinned.

"Noam's smitten with Drew's little girlfriend."

"He asked for her number last night," Drew revealed, shaking his head. "I can't tell if he's serious, or he's trying to get a rise out of me."

"It's Noam we're talking about here - probably both," Ariya replied. Drew thought about it for a moment and nodded.

"You're probably right." Drew looked over at Jack. "To answer your question, yes, I spoke to her last night, and she made it home safely. I'm gonna call her a little later and see how she's doing."

Ariya studied him. "You miss her?"

"Always," Drew said with a snort. "I just want to hear her voice. It sounds silly..." He shot Jack a look. Jack raised his eyebrows and sipped his tea. "But there's a lot you guys don't know about her, and how hard it is for her to head back there."

"You could always tell us," Tony said. Drew shook his head.

"It's not my story to tell," Drew replied. "We knew each other for almost four and a half years before she even talked to me about Aberdeen."

"And who says women can't keep secrets?" Ariya cracked, sipping his coffee.

"I haven't had enough coffee to deal with this shit," Drew murmured. The waitress walked past and he stopped her, asking for a quick refill on his cup.

"Well, when you talk to her, tell her we said hello," Jack told him.

"Let her know we're excited to see her again at _Money in the Bank,"_ Tony told him.

"Noam, especially," Jack jumped in. Drew's eyes narrowed.

"I hate you."

"If you're into her, you might wanna get to it before that guy does," Jack suggested. "He's been asking around for her number."

"I'm not worried about that," Drew said with a laugh. "The second he asks Bryan, Bryan is gonna kill him."

"Oh." Jack nodded. "I see how it is."

Drew nodded. He sipped his coffee. "I don't think that much has changed."

"Everyone's adults here," Tony told him. "It's better than sitting here and watching you pine."

"I'm not pining," Drew insisted.

"You've been kind of a whiny bitch since she left," Ariya told him. Drew shook his head.

"I'm never inviting you anywhere again."

"You know what I think?" Jack told him. Drew snorted.

"Nobody asked."

"I think she feels the same way you do. But whatever happened between the two of you has made things weird." Jack sipped his tea before turning his attention to his hash browns and eggs. "It's not an easy talk, but it's one you two are going to have to have."

Drew sighed. He hated to admit it, but Jack was right. "I'll talk to her at _Money in the Bank._ Trust me, guys - she's got enough on her plate right now."


	12. Chapter 12

**Chapter Twelve**

* * *

 _ **2010**_

 _Armed with nothing but a brown paper bag, Drew burst through the black curtain into the backstage area, his eyes scanning the environment for any sign of Ari. The show was over, but the chaos of the evening wasn't over. For the past five minutes, he'd been looking everywhere for Ari. His gaze swung left and right, contemplating which direction she could have gone in. DJ mentioned she'd disappeared when she'd heard the approaching sirens, that she looked like she had seen a ghost. DJ had the reputation of being a hard, cold individual, so seeing him show any kind of concern for anyone was a strange development; when Drew had asked, he'd commented that he'd never seen Ari so shaken. She'd shouted the letters "O-D" over her shoulder before she left the locker room, gasping for breath like she was having a panic attack._

 _To the left, Drew spotted Switchblade Conspiracy talking; Moxley's raspy and obnoxious laugh rang in his ears. Moxley was still in his ring gear, but he was wearing a black T-shirt. His hair had dried since his match earlier in the evening; it was wild and unmanageable. Sami stood with his back to Drew, dressed all in black, his hair still spiked, still in his ring gear. Drew looked down the right side of the hall and saw nobody. With a defeated sigh, knowing he had to talk to them, Drew approached Moxley and Sami. Moxley spotted him over his shoulder first, prompting Sami to turn around._

 _"Hey, guys. You happen to see where Ari went by any chance?"_

 _An amused smirk tugged at the corner of Moxley's mouth and Drew had to fight the urge to punch him in the solar plexus. "Lost track of your woman, Gulak?" Moxley taunted, a mischievous glint in his blue eyes. Sami looked at Drew, the amusement on his face disappearing when he realized that it was a serious situation, that Drew was not in the mood to play around._

 _"I know you aren't used to hearing this, Moxley, but not tonight. Where is she? You seen her or not?"_

 _Sensing the situation could become combustible quickly, thanks to Drew's mood and Jon's lack of care for his well-being, Sami jumped in quickly, his hands raised as an attempt to keep the peace between them. "Nah, man. We haven't seen her in...I wanna say forty-five minutes. Is everything okay? She's not in trouble, is she?"_

 _"I don't know. That's what I'm trying to find out," Drew confessed. "Thanks anyway."_

 _"You could always get a..."_

 _"Don't push me tonight, Mox. DJ would kill me if I killed you."_

 _Sami snorted. Drew walked the opposite way down the hallway, peeking into every open door he came across. With every empty space, he felt a bubble of dread expand in his stomach. He shook his head; she was still in the building somewhere - her car was still in the parking lot. He chewed on his lower lip thoughtfully. What the hell happened?_

 _He stopped. Taking a deep breath, he tried to think of all the places he hadn't checked. It wasn't a big building; there wasn't a million and one hiding spaces for someone to make themselves scarce. As he crossed every searched location off his mental checklist, a welcome voice with even more welcome information cut into his thoughts._

 _"Hey, Drew - I'm hearing around here that you're looking for Ari."_

 _Turning quickly, Drew almost collided with Mia Yim. She was dressed in tight blue jeans and a CZW T-shirt, her dyed light brown hair in pigtails. "Where is she?" he asked quickly, the questions coming out rapid-fire. "Have you seen her? Where did she go?"_

 _"I saw her like ten minutes ago. She was headed towards the back exit..."_

 _"Mia, you're the best. I owe you fucking huge," Drew blurted. Giving her a quick tap on the shoulder, he rushed past her, towards the exit. Mia watched him leave with her hands on her hips. She shook her head and smiled before she went to track down Adam Cole._

 _Drew burst through the exit door, the cold burst of air and heavy rain hitting him in the face. Taking a quick look around, he quickly spotted Ari sitting against the wall, her knees pulled up to her chest. Her head was rested against the wall. She was sucking in breaths like she couldn't get enough air._

 _The way he'd burst through the door had startled Ari, making her kink her neck when she moved her head quickly to see him. She winced in pain. The door shut behind Drew quietly. She struggled to take a deep breath as he approached her. Standing in front of her, they exchanged glances, his frazzled expression softening to full-blown concern when he saw the wild imprint in her eyes. DJ hadn't been lying; she looked pale. He couldn't tell if it was crying or rain that had made her mascara run, but it streaked her cheeks._

 _He moved to join her against the wall, adjusting his slacks before he sat down beside her and handed her the paper bag. She thanked him softly, taking it. Ari breathed into the bag. For a few minutes Drew just listened to her breathing, waiting for it to return to normal. He watched the bag constrict and expand in a steady rhythm that he found to be kind of soothing._

 _When she finally pulled the bag away, she leaned her head against the wall and gasped. "I don't think I can do this anymore."_

 _Drew wasn't sure what she meant. He looked out at the parking lot, watching the rain bounce off the cars and the pavement. "What happened?" He waited for an answer, but Ari remained silent. After a few moments, he felt his frustration get the better of him. "Come on, Ari, don't freeze me out here. What happened? DJ said the kid overdosed. Do you know something we don't? Is the kid going to die?"_

 _"That depends."_

 _"Depends on what?"_

 _"If the doctors can figure out what he took."_

 _"You're sure it's an overdose?" Drew asked. She looked at her hands, her expression becoming bitter underneath the harsh streetlights._

 _"DJ tried telling me what he thought it was, but I knew. I know. I've seen enough of them in my lifetime to know."_

 _Drew blinked, unable to keep the surprise off his face. It was a new piece of information about a past she never spoke of. Ari rolled her head towards him, and he could see the exhaustion, the fear, and the sadness on her face. There was suddenly tears in her eyes that were threatening to spill over. "I should have stayed in there. I rushed to him, and I tried to do everything I could, but I just...all of a sudden, I couldn't breathe. I just...I needed to breathe. I needed to get out. It was like...the walls were closing in. He was there...he was convulsing, and vomiting and I just...I couldn't breathe."_

 _"Ari, it's okay..."_

 _"No, it's not. I'm so stupid. I've spent my whole life training for moments like this, and I ran away like a coward. What am I even doing with my life? I ran away from him when he needed me the most."_

 _"You did everything you could," he assured her. "I know you. You wouldn't have left him if DJ weren't there. You left DJ with the information you had that the paramedics needed." Her mouth pulled into a sad line, but she nodded. They fell quiet again. Drew kept his eyes on her; the tears were spilling down her cheeks, but she wasn't openly sobbing. In the middle of the parking lot, an enormous puddle was beginning to form._

 _"Did I ever tell you how I ended up with Bryan and his mom?" Drew shook his head, and she sighed. "Bryan's mom is a therapist. For a while, she was_ my _therapist."_

 _Drew allowed his forearms to rest on his knees. He watched her intently. All he wanted to do was reach out and touch her, to hold her until her tears stopped, but he was afraid any movement would make her clam up again._

 _"I never should have been born."_

 _"Ari..." He hated hearing her speak like that. She looked at him and sighed._

 _"Please." He nodded and silenced himself. "My birth mother was a mess. She had me when she was thirteen, and she had no business being a mom. She came from a real religious family, and I guess when she got pregnant with me, they disowned her. She doesn't speak to them. I don't know them. If I were to run into them on the street, I wouldn't know who they are. They've never sent a card, a letter, anything. Even with everything, they couldn't be bothered._

 _"I don't know who my father is. I never have. My mom had a wild streak. Everyone has their theories about why she was the way she was, and why she did the things she did, but we'll never know." She shook her head. "Growing up, the way people would talk about my mom, you'd think my dad could be anyone. Kids are cruel, but adults can be a hell of a lot colder. I never got shielded from any of that growing up._

 _"She couldn't take care of herself. She had me, and her boyfriends, but most importantly, she had the drugs. My mom took everything and anything offered to her. Growing up, I didn't know her sober. We'd bounce from place to place while she bounced from man to man. It's funny, you know, because at the time, I thought that was normal. Because it's all I knew. How dumb does that sound?"_

 _"It doesn't sound dumb at all," he assured her. She sighed._

 _"Her boyfriends were terrible. Her friends were just as bad. I don't remember what I did one time, but her boyfriend at the time hauled off and he broke my nose. My mom was so scared to take me to the hospital, so they set my nose themselves. It was awful. I missed a lot of school in those days, so it wasn't unusual to just disappear for a bit." Drew closed his eyes and took a deep breath. A rolling wave of disgust left him momentarily nauseous. ]_

 _"Aberdeen hates my mother, and by extension, they're not too fond of me. They looked down on her. I'm ashamed to admit it, but sometimes I do, too. She always drew the line at involving me in some of the...things she was doing, but it was the only line she had._

 _"I learned pretty early what an overdose looked like. I can't tell you how many times I've called 911. As I got older, I used to sneak off to the library and read the medical books they had. I wanted to help my mom so bad. At the time, I didn't know she had to want it. I just thought I could do it. I just wanted her to be better." Ari wiped at her eyes with her knuckles. "My mom was always so scared of losing me, so if the ambulance got called, I'd get whisked out of the house until the heat died down."_

 _"Jesus." He shook his head. "Do you still talk to her?"_

 _Ari sighed. "When I was eleven, my mom moved us into this hotel with Uncle Chris. Every guy was an uncle," she added bitterly. "I loved Chris. He still holds a soft spot in my heart. He was a dealer, he had his problems, but he was one of the first people to show me that the way things had been wasn't normal. He was a mess, too, but he loved my mom. But my mom just...she was falling further down the rabbit hole. She was so paranoid all the time. They never should have been together; he was the first real father figure I had, but things were just so volatile between them."_

 _It was clear to him why she'd needed fresh air. Seeing the kid convulsing and struggling for his life had brought painful memories to the surface. Drew suspected that some of the memories she hadn't fully processed. He suddenly understood why she hardly spoke about her upbringing in Aberdeen, about the life she'd lived before being adopted._

 _"Did your mom ever get clean?" he asked. She nodded._

 _"My mom got clean because she had to. She's serving a life sentence in prison for capitol murder," she told him with a sigh. Drew's eyes widened. "I don't know what happened with her and Chris, but we were on the run for a little while. There was a manhunt. It was just me and my mom, and they said I was being held hostage, and that she was dangerous, but that's not true. She's my mom and the media was trying to say I'd been kidnapped._

 _"There were so many people after that. I still remember the police station, how grey it was in the main hall, how the room they brought me into to ask me questions looked like my classroom," she told him. "I was in danger of bouncing through the system, and I probably would have aged out of it, but Mom came along. She was getting a divorce at the time, and I think she was feeling a bit of an empty nest because Bryan was starting to venture out more and more, and she just...she took me. I've always wanted to ask her why, but I'm always afraid of the answer. That sounds stupid, doesn't it?"_

 _"Not at all."_

 _"I was officially adopted, and it was shortly after the trial that everything was made official." Ari sighed. "I've seen crazy things here. I've patched up a lot of crazy injuries. I've handled drunk people, and I don't know, maybe I've handled people who are high, but I've never..." She cut herself off, and shook her head. "Not here." She sighed. "I'm not cut out for this. I'm stupid to think I was."_

 _"Hey, hey...none of that." Draping his arm around her shoulders, he shifted until they were close together. "There isn't a single person back here who doesn't trust you and what you do, Ari, so none of that, okay? At this point, I'm convinced keeping Moxley in one piece is your greatest achievement." She couldn't help but laugh through her tears._

 _"I lost it, though..."_

 _"You got through it, and then you came out here to get yourself together when there was nothing more you could do," he told her. Ari curled her head into him, and he could feel her tears and her hair soaking through his dress shirt._

 _"I ran like a coward..."_

 _"You helped him," Drew corrected, absently rubbing her arm. "Was there anything else you could do?"_

 _"We're not equipped for that. He needed a hospital."_

 _"Which is exactly where he's going," Drew told her, gripping her a little tighter. His mind was still racing with everything she'd told him, but he was doing his best to present for her. It occurred to him out of the blue that what she had told him was a huge reason why Bryan was so overprotective of her; it put things into context. "He's going to be okay."_

 _"I hope so," she told him softly. With a sniffle, she looked up at him. "Please don't tell anyone what I've told you," she begged. "This is the first time in my life I've ever been treated normally, and I just...I want to keep it that way, okay?"_

 _His hand moved from her arm to stroke her curly hair. "It's between you and I, Ari. You know that."_

 _They fell quiet. Ari let her head rest on him once more. She found that she quite liked the feeling of Drew stroking her hair while they looked out at the rain. "Drew..."_

 _"What are you doing after the show tonight?" he asked._

 _"I don't know," she confessed with a sigh. "I haven't really thought that far ahead tonight."_

 _"Have you eaten?"_

 _She thought about it. Ari groaned. "Not since lunch."_

 _"If you're up for some company, I could stop for something to eat and head to your place? If you want. We can watch a movie or something."_

 _"That sounds great," she told him. "I don't think I want to be alone."_

 _He agreed. After the night she'd had, he had every intention of crashing on her couch if she'd let him. He didn't want to leave her alone, not after the night she'd had, not while she was second-guessing and berating herself over what she should have done. "I'll talk to DJ before we leave, see if he has an update, okay?"_

 _"That would be great."_

 _She looked out at the rain and sighed. Ari couldn't help but feel like she'd made a big mistake sharing everything with Drew. She trusted him; she didn't think there was another human being in the city that she trusted more than him. But she'd laid her darkest secret out to him. Her biggest fear now was that he'd look at her differently, and not with contempt._

 _With pity._

* * *

 **Dressed in dark blue jeans and a black V-neck sweater, her hair pulled back in a high ponytail, Ari sat alone in the visiting room with her hands clasped together on the tabletop.** She looked around the wide open space, unsure of where to look. There weren't a whole lot of people in the visiting room, a surprising yet not unwelcome development. Her chest felt constricted; breathing felt like a chore. Ari looked down at her hands and took a deep breath. She had the sudden urge to bolt from her chair and leave, to just forget the whole thing. The door opening up ahead cut those thoughts off at the pass and made escape impossible.

While Melissa Harris had always been a slim woman, eighteen months of health problems made her look positively frail. Her jumpsuit hung off her small frame to a depressing degree; Ari observed that her wrists were really small. Her chestnut hair was streaked with patches of grey. The burly guard in black behind Melissa motioned in Ari's direction and the two women locked eyes on each other for the first time in over six years. The emotion was visible on Melissa's face, even from a short distance.

Ari couldn't remember the last time she'd been in the same room as her mother; it had been long before she'd packed two suitcases and left the country. Ari felt her chest clench with guilt. Nobody came to visit her mother; not even her. Once again, Ari berated herself for being so selfish, but Ari also knew the harsh truth, the one that she didn't want to speak out loud for risk of sounding even more self-absorbed - it was hard for her to be inside a prison. This building was yet another reminder of a time in her life that she could never fully outrun.

The guard accompanied Melissa to the table, and Ari stood to greet her mother. They stood in front of each other, the two of them taking each other in. Ari had her mother's curls, but not her hair color or her eye color. Ari wondered if those things had come from her father. Her mother had hazel eyes that were almost golden. They were both tall women, with broad shoulders, long legs, and a narrow waist.

Their embrace was short and awkward. They slid into their chairs and Ari looked at her hands. "Hi."

"It's good to see you, Arista," Melissa told her. "I haven't had a visitor here in forever. When did you get here?"

"A couple days ago. I've just been getting settled."

"How was your flight?"

"Good." Ari shrugged. "I mean, for a flight."

"How long are you here for?"

"Just a couple of weeks. After that, I'm headed out to Philly to see some old friends. After that, I'll probably head back home." Melissa nodded. The two women fell quiet. "How have you been doing?"

"Up and down," Melissa confessed. "All the years of being young and stupid seem to be catching up with me quicker these days." Ari nodded; while it didn't feel appropriate, she didn't know what to say. Sensing that, Melissa smiled. "It's good to see you."

"It's good to see you, too." Long ago, both women had been forced to make peace with the knowledge that Melissa would die in this building. Even after so many years, the weight of it hung in the air between them, unspoken but ever present at the forefront of their minds. In her seat, Melissa looked wistful, while Ari felt guilty for talking about her travels and her life. Melissa's decisions had impacted her life in negative ways; her actions had put her in the chair across from Ari, but there was guilt that gnawed at Ari. Sometimes, when it was quiet, and Ari couldn't sleep, she thought about her mother, wondered if her mother ever saw this life for herself. Sometimes, she liked to imagine that her mother had gotten it together early and had been the mother that she'd needed. On the darkest nights, Ari often wondered if she had been destined to follow her mother inside these walls had she not been adopted.

She hated thinking about that. For the most part, Ari was happy with the life she had. But she'd freely admit her happiest days were when she'd been going to school. She couldn't see her life without Barb and Bryan. Having Drew back in her life made her the happiest she'd been in a long time; he'd always been her rock, making sure she was fed and sane when she'd let her needs fall by the wayside.

"I know it means very little at this point, sweetie, but I'm so sorry for everything," Melissa said, shaking her head. "I wish I knew then what I know now."

"Hindsight is always twenty-twenty," Ari told her sadly. Melissa nodded. Ari chewed on her lower lip. It never ceased to be awkward with her mother. Looking out the window she was once again greeted with the thought that in another life, she could have been sharing a cell with her mother. She had to slip her hands underneath the table to keep her mother from seeing them shake.

* * *

 **Drew did a graceful half-spin and fell back on the bed, smiling at the contact the mattress made with his back.**

Downstairs, Tony, Jack, Noam, and Ariya were meeting for a couple drinks at the hotel bar before they called it a night. Freshly showered and changed into black basketball shorts and a black T-shirt, Drew had every intention of joining them downstairs, but he'd told Tony he had something he wanted to do first before he met with them. Without saying why he was going to be right behind them, Tony had understood, telling Drew not to take forever as he slipped his key-card into his pocket and left the hotel room.

Staring up at the ceiling, Drew stretched out on the bed and yawned. It had been an extremely busy day, followed by a long trip to the next town. He'd been meaning to get in touch with Ari all day, but things kept pulling him in different directions. It was getting late, but he knew that it was still relatively early on the west coast.

With a groan, Drew sat up and moved to the nightstand to grab his phone. He wanted to catch her before she called it a night. Sitting down on the bed, unhooking his phone from the charger, he found himself smiling. It was a wonderful feeling, having Ari around again. He'd missed texting her, missed calling her. Her presence in his life had been sorely missed. Drew scrolled through the contacts until he made it to her number.

She answered on the second ring. "I was wondering if I was going to hear from you," she greeted with a laugh.

"I was wondering if I was going to get the chance," he replied. "It's been an absolutely crazy day. I still have to meet the guys down at the bar - I'm just taking a moment to sneak in and see how your day went before I head down."

Ari sighed. "My day was pretty long. Probably not as long as yours, though."

"What did you do?" he asked.

"I went and saw my mom."

"Oh... _oh_." Drew ran a hand through his hair. "Are you okay?"

"I'm okay," she assured him. Her tone struck him as rueful. "It's just...it's always hard seeing her in there, you know?"

"I don't. I couldn't even imagine." They were quiet. Drew was about to ask if she was still on the line when she spoke.

"I wish you were here." He smiled.

"I wish you were here, too. But I'll see you pretty soon."

"How was your day?"

"Nuts. This is the first real chance I've had to sit down and take a breather."

"A breather? You're getting soft in your old age," she teased. He laughed.

"I might be," he confirmed.

"Who are you drinking with tonight?" she asked.

"The usual suspects - Tony. Ariya. Jack. Noam."

"That sounds like a lot of fun." She fell quiet for a moment. "That Noam...he's a bit of a messy one, isn't he?"

"What did he do?" Drew asked with a groan.

"He asked Bryan for my number. That went over about as well as you think it did."

Drew laughed. "Some people have to learn the hard way. I thought I warned him about that? Or was it Tony? I feel like someone warned him."

"Well, he missed the memo. Bryan gave me the third degree after he read Noam the Riot Act." Ari laughed.

"Poor Noam."

"Please - a couple pints in him tonight, and a good looking girl at the bar, and he'll forget I exist," she assured him with a laugh. Drew couldn't ever see anyone forgetting a woman like Ari Harris existed, but he wasn't about to blurt that out over the phone. "I really do hate to do this, but I'm going to let you go. I'm about to watch a movie with Mom, and you need to get to the guys."

"What are you going to watch?"

"Haven't decided yet." In his head, he could see Ari smiling on the other side of the phone. "Have a good night, Drew. Have a drink for me."

"I will. You have a good night."

"Sweet dreams." They said their goodbyes and Drew hung up. He stared at his phone for a moment before he sighed and slipped it into the breast pocket of his T-shirt. Knowing it was only going to be a matter of time before the guys started harassing him, Drew slipped into a pair of flip-flops and left the hotel room to join his friends at the bar.


	13. Chapter 13

**Chapter Thirteen**

* * *

 _ **2010**_

 _Ari popped open the plastic top that covered the vegetable tray she had bought at the grocery store earlier in the day, her nose crinkling at the overabundance of cherry tomatoes on the platter. She silently thanked her lucky stars that she'd had the foresight to pick up an extra container of ranch dressing since there seemed to be more vegetables than dip on the platter._

 _In the living room, Nick Gage, Rich Swann, and Drake Younger were taking up prime real estate on her sofa. Nick was getting far too comfortable in her apartment; she'd already had to ask him twice about keeping his feet off the table where she was laying out the snacks for the evening. She was beginning to feel like it was in one ear and out the other with Nick. Drake was apologetic; he'd brought Nick with him as a last-minute guest, and while Ari was cool with the change of plans - despite the fact that Nick intimidated her - she wasn't cool with someone putting their smelly feet up on the table by the food._

 _It was August fifteenth, a sweltering summer's day in Philadelphia, and everyone was dressed for the weather. Ari was in a pair of blue denim shorts that had a few tears along the hem, with a pastel pink Sailor Moon T-shirt that was tied at the waist. Her hair was tied in a thick braid that fell over her left shoulder. She'd completed her summer fashion with a hint of nude lip gloss and some mascara and eyeliner. She was having a last-minute viewing party for_ SummerSlam _, WWE's proclaimed "Biggest Party of the Summer". Bryan had called her a few days before and asked her to order the event, going so far as to send her the money to do it. When she'd asked him why he was so insistent that she watch the show, he'd become coy and told her that he couldn't say. Ari realized then that there was a new twist in a complicated saga._

 _Three months before, Bryan had debuted on_ Monday Night Raw _as a member of the Nexus, a group of men who had become known for competing on the first season of NXT. The group had attacked John Cena and destroyed everyone and everything in the vicinity, but when Bryan had taken it upon himself to violently strangle ring announcer Justin Roberts with a necktie, he'd found himself out of a job. Everyone in the pro wrestling industry had banded around Bryan, calling the decision to fire Bryan "asinine"; both Ari and Bryan had been surprised when John Cena, the company's biggest name, had called for Bryan to be reinstated._

 _But everyone's pleas had fallen on deaf ears, and while Ari was sad about it, Bryan had chosen to just move on with his life. His schedule had filled very quickly with independent bookings, and Bryan confessed to Ari that he was being paid more money because of the controversy. He'd become the hottest free agent in professional wrestling, and it was up to him where he ended up. One weekend, Bryan had called her to tell her about fans throwing neckties at him as he walked to the ring, and the two of them had shared a laugh about it together. But Ari had felt such a deep sense of disappointment for her brother. He'd had his dream ripped away from him for the second time, and she wished she could make things better. She believed in her heart that Bryan belonged in WWE and that the company was worse off for not having him on their roster._

 _She picked up the vegetable tray and plastered a smile on her face. There were still more people to arrive, and while she didn't exactly have the seating space, she was excited to have a viewing party. Walking into the living room, her smile faltered slightly when she saw Nick with his foot on the table. A well-placed nudge from Drake made Nick move his foot so Ari could put the tray down in front of them._

 _"Does everyone have everything they need?" Ari asked. All three men were working on bottles of beer._

 _"Everything's great, Ari. Please, sit down - relax," Drake told her. She shot him a smile._

 _"I will when everyone gets here. I promise."_

 _"Who all is left to get here?" Rich asked. Ari straightened her posture and thought about it for a moment._

 _"Drew, Rory, Kim, and I invited Mox and Sami, but who knows if they are going to show up," she told them. They nodded. She had extended an invitation to Adam Cole, but he had plans somewhere else. Drew had sent her a message half an hour before to let her know that he was running behind schedule; he'd gotten off his shift late, and he still needed to go home, clean up, and pick up his brother before he made his way to the apartment._

 _"Thanks for having us out for this, Ari," Drake offered. She smiled._

 _"Thanks for coming out. I know it's not a whole lot of space, but..."_

 _"It's perfect," Rich assured her. She opened her mouth to speak, but it was at that moment there was knocking on the door. Ari excused herself and went to answer the door. Flinging it open, she found Kim on the other side, dressed in black jean shorts and a long floral tank top, her blonde hair pulled back in a ponytail. She held a bag in her hand._

 _"Hey!" Kim greeted. They hugged each other, and Ari took the bag._

 _"What's in here?"_

 _"I brought wine," she told Ari, following her into the kitchen._

 _"You didn't have to..."_

 _"I know. Thanks for inviting me out," Kim told her._

 _"Thanks for coming. Seating is tight, so find a spot where you can - there are some extra chairs at the table if you need it."_

 _"Can I help with anything?" Kim asked, sliding off her flip flops. Ari shook her head._

 _"Nah. I've got it. Snacks are out. Everyone's comfortable. The pre-show started about twenty minutes ago." Kim nodded. She reached past Ari and grabbed a wine glass out of the cupboard._

 _"Do you want a glass?" she asked._

 _"I'm okay for now," Ari told her. "Thanks, though."_

 _Kim shrugged and poured herself a glass before she disappeared into the living area._

 _"Who do you got, Ari? Team WWE or Team Nexus?" Drake hollered from his spot. Ari thought about it. Nick stood and approached the kitchen with his empty beer bottle. She exchanged the empty for a new bottle of beer and rinsed out the bottle. She had a sneaking suspicion that Rich was the designated driver of the three; he was still nursing his first bottle of beer while the others were a few deep._

 _"Team Nexus should probably take it, but I think Team WWE is gonna pull it out," she told him. She grabbed a dishtowel off the stove handle and wiped down the counter. As she hung it back on the rack she saw who she thought was Rory walk past her window. She rushed to the door to meet him there. Flinging the door open, she stepped outside to find him in long beige shorts and a floral shirt. She blinked; the shirt was loud. "You look like you're on your way to Margaritaville," she blurted. He laughed._

 _"It's a_ SummerSlam _party - I gotta look the part. What do you think?" he asked._

 _"The straw hat is a bit much."_

 _"Drew said the same thing. I guess the saying's true."_

 _"Great minds think alike?"_

 _"Fools seldom differ." She snorted._

 _"Shut up and find a spot," she told him, stepping to the side so he could walk inside. Ari looked down the walkway in time to find Drew coming up the stairs, armed with bags._

 _"He really left you to carry everything?" she asked incredulously. Barefoot, she rushed down the walkway and met him midway. "Let me take a couple of those."_

 _"I got this; you don't have to..."_

 _"You know you don't have to carry everything on your shoulders, right, Champ?" she asked him. Drew shot her a look before he broke into a smirk. He chuckled, shaking his head; he'd been the CZW Wired champion for going on four months, and since he'd won it, Ari had gone out of her way to draw attention to the fact he was a champion at every possible opportunity. He wasn't sure if it was pride, or if she was picking on him, or if it was a mix of both, but it gave his ego a small boost every time she called him "Champ"._

 _Knowing he wasn't going to win, he shifted. "Fine - take this one and this one - they're the lightest." He maneuvered so Ari could take the bags. They fell into step beside each other. "I ran into Sami and Mox downstairs in the parking lot. Mox is just having a smoke and then they'll be on their way up."_

 _Ari blinked. "They're here?"_

 _"I know. I said the same thing. Mox said he had nothing better to do, and the booze was free."_

 _"Oh." She seemed to visibly deflate in front of Drew, and he instantly felt bad. He asked himself why he would throw that out into the universe. Moxley had said it, of course, and he knew if he'd said anything else, she'd see right through it. But it didn't take the sting out, and it made him feel guilty for making her feel bad._

 _Desperate to change the subject and put a smile back on her face, Drew shot her a smile. "You heard from your brother at all today?"_

 _"No. I sent him a message to thank him for ordering the show, but he's not answering. He's probably on the road. The guy has so many dates lined up..." She sighed. "I have this feeling that he's there tonight, but I mean...everything_ just _happened. It wouldn't make sense, would it?"_

 _Drew shrugged. "Stranger things have happened in this world of ours."_

 _They walked inside her apartment. "You know you didn't have to bring anything, Drew," she told him. She bumped the door closed with her hip. Drew followed her into the kitchen. They placed the bags on the counter._

 _"Your home is full of big, hungry wrestlers. The_ least _I could do was bring in a few things. I mean, it's not much, but..." Ari shifted so she was looking over his shoulder while he rifled through a bag. Drew pulled out a bag of sour cream and onion chips and handed them to her. "I know better than to come over without a bag of these, Ari."_

 _"You really are the best," she told him, giving him a hug around the shoulders. He touched her forearm._

 _Drew was about to open his mouth and respond, but the door flung open. Ari jumped, removing her arms from Drew as if he were made of fire. Turning, they saw Moxley walk into the house, carrying two cases of beer under his arms. "What's up, bitches?" Moxley announced loudly into the house. Sami followed behind him, closing the door gently. Jon walked into the kitchen and put the beers down on the counter. "You got any room in the fridge for these, sweetheart?" he asked._

 _"Not really, but I'll figure something out," she told him._

 _"Yo, Drake! I'm stealing a beer while ours are getting cold!" Moxley yelled out._

 _"Help yourself, dude," Drake called out. Jon reached into the fridge and grabbed two beers, one for him and one for Sami. He looked over at Drew. "What about you, Boy Scout? You gonna have a beer with the boys?"_

 _"Maybe in a bit. I'm just helping Ari get everything settled."_

 _"Pussy." Disinterested, he turned his attention to Ari. "How about you? You gonna have a beer with your favorite wrestler, or do you need permission from your man over here?"_

 _Drew rolled his eyes, but the discomfort that radiated from Ari pissed him off. "I'll have a beer, sure."_

 _Jon handed her a can. Drew watched her open it. He knew right away that she didn't like it; he could see the way her eyes flickered when she took her first sip. She struggled to swallow the mouthful she took._

 _"Don't spit it out," Mox told her. "You heard that before, sweetheart?"_

 _"Is there a reason you're in here?" Drew asked him. Ari managed to swallow her beer, but she sputtered and coughed. Mox opted to ignore Drew. "First drink, sweetheart?"_

 _"First beer. I've had my first drink already. With Drew," she added. Mox shot him a look._

 _"Not such a boy scout after all. Isn't that something? Come on, Ari - let's go watch the show."_

 _"I'll be right with you. I'm just going to get some stuff sorted in here, and I'll be right out..."_

 _"I got this."_

 _She looked at Drew. "Are you sure?"_

 _"Yeah, yeah. You've probably been at this all day. Let me take over." Ari shot him a look and realized that he needed a moment to compose himself before he throttled Moxley in front of everyone. With a nod, Ari shot him a smile._

 _"You're the best, Champ." They smiled at each other, and she left the kitchen. She was going to be nursing that beer for the whole night, they both knew._

 _When Drew came out of the kitchen, he found Moxley sitting super close to Ari. With a tight smile, he sat down beside his brother on the floor. Ari looked over at him and flashed him a smile. The show had started. He smiled back at her. It was hard for him to be in a terrible mood when she was around. But he was willing to swear on his life that Moxley was the biggest pain in the ass he had ever met in his life._

 _He watched Moxley drape an arm over her shoulders. He'd turned up his charisma as high as it could go, and he saw that Ari was falling for it. There was a pang inside of his chest at the idea that she would be just another notch on the bedpost of Jon Moxley. Ari was too good for that._

 _Ari nursed her beer for the entire show. The main event had thrown everyone for a loop when Bryan made his WWE return as the mysterious final member of Team WWE. Nobody had been more surprised than Jon Moxley, who had an upcoming match with Bryan the following month. Ari had shifted when he got up, excusing himself, stepping outside to call the promoter to see if plans had been changed._

 _Drew studied Ari as she watched her brother. Pride shone in her eyes. She applauded and cheered when he eliminated a member of Team Nexus. He was eliminated first for the team, but it didn't dampen her spirits. She was just happy to see her brother living his dream once more._

* * *

 **It wasn't even ten-thirty in the morning, and Ari already felt like she'd had a long day.**

Ari's final twenty-four hours in Aberdeen had been surprisingly emotional. Whenever she had a private moment, she allowed herself to shed a tear or two for all the heavy things she'd faced, from visiting her mother in prison to making amends with a childhood tormentor. Friday morning she had stopped and visited her biological mother for the last time for the foreseeable future. She had spent that afternoon shopping with her mother, and in the evening she'd gone and had two pots of tea with Eva at her home.

It had been fun to go out for a cup of tea. They'd reminisced about their younger days when Eva had been dumber and Ari had been struggling with everyone's perception of her and her mother. Listening to Eva talk about all the crazy things she'd got away with as a teenager made Ari realize that she'd spent her entire formative years living in fear of being judged. It had been a thought to chew on, and she'd spent most of her night thinking about how those fears still followed her into her adult life. She'd spent _years_ playing it safe because she didn't want people to look at her the way they looked at her mother.

Eva had talked Ari into opening an Instagram account. After years of fighting against social media, she'd buckled. Eva explained to Ari that it was for pictures, for people to see the things she saw and vice versa. Eva had taken a selfie of the two of them and showed Ari how to upload pictures and set filters. Ari had yet to post anything to her page, but she was sure she would get a lot of pictures during the remainder of her trip. It had been late when she'd finally gone back home, back up to her old room to spend one more night in her old bed.

Drew had phoned before he had called it a night. Since she'd arrived in Aberdeen, he'd made it a habit to call her at least once a day, and she found very quickly that she looked forward to his phone calls. She'd thought about calling him to surprise him a few nights, but she was never sure about what his schedule looked like, and she was too nervous to ask. Ari knew that being a WWE Superstar came with a lot of different hats to wear; the last thing she wanted to do was call him during a meeting or media. So she waited for him, and he called her every day without fail. Some nights he'd even passed the phone along to Tony, Noam, and Jack. She loved the brotherhood of their locker room. Ari found Noam Dar adorable, if not a little too bold for his own good.

She'd told him about her new Instagram account, and he'd been all too happy to give her his account. Ari followed him, and while she couldn't sleep, she'd gone through his pictures to see what he had been doing since they'd separated and gone on different paths.

Ari wouldn't admit it out loud, but she was nervous about going back out to Philly. The lack of sleep she had left her vibrating. She was sure that everything was going to be fine when she landed but the idea of seeing Drew still left her nervous. They'd slipped back into a normal routine with each other, but she could still feel this underlying tension between the two of them.

Her plane would be landing in a few hours. She had woken up to a text from Bryan to let her know that he'd be picking her up from the airport. They were going to be rooming together for the stretch, and she was excited about that; she couldn't remember the last time she'd done a weekend of traveling with just her brother. Brie was going to be hanging back to go over some details regarding the beauty line she wanted to launch with her sister.

She chewed on her lower lip thoughtfully. Ari tried to bring her attention back to the movie, but it was too no avail. It was about to be a busy weekend, followed by a nerve-wracking week, and she knew she needed to figure out a way to compose herself quickly.

* * *

 _ **Ugh. This is going to be a long weekend.**_

Drew read over her message, chuckling at the amount of o's in the word "long". At that moment, he was pacing back and forth in his hotel room, waiting for Tony to finish showering so they could grab something to eat in the restaurant downstairs. He was hoping to get to bed relatively early; he still had to work out, eat breakfast, and get ready for _Money in the Bank_ the following day. He wasn't on the card as of yet, but he knew that things changed very quickly in wrestling. If he wasn't on the card, he hoped to find Ari and watch the show with her.

 _Long how?_ He sent the message back before he looked over at the clock on the nightstand. He sighed; at this rate, the place would be closed by the time Tony got out of the shower.

He asked, but Drew had his suspicions that he knew exactly why she felt it was going to be a long weekend; he knew Bryan was being uptight again. Whenever it came to Ari spending an extended amount of time with one of the boys, Bryan tended to lay on the protective brother angle extra thick, and while Drew understood it was a natural instinct - he was protective of his brother, too - his idea of being protective didn't keep anyone from living their life.

The strange dynamic still existed between Bryan and Ari, even after so many years apart and so many miles between them. Once she'd divulged her past to him, he'd become far more observant of the people around her who knew, had paid more attention to the conversations she had with Bryan on the phone. He had no doubt that Bryan loved his sister, but his idea of protecting her involved using control.

Thinking about it, he realized Ari hadn't gone on a date in the time he'd known her. He wasn't even sure where she'd had the time between holding a full-time job, going to school full-time, and moonlighting as a medic.

He was yanked out of his thoughts by the phone buzzing. _The usual stuff. At this rate, I might throttle him._

Drew grinned. _You want me to come and get you? I'm just waiting for Tony to get out of the shower and then we were going to get something to eat._

The phone was quiet for a few moments. He sat down at the foot of the bed. In the bathroom, the water had shut off. "Finally," Drew murmured under his breath. His phone buzzed in his hand. _I'm okay tonight, thanks. I'm really tired. I'll see you tomorrow at the arena though. Have fun with Tony. Tell him I said hello._ Drew read over her message, slightly disappointed that they weren't going to see each other.

 _I can do that when he gets out of the shower. No lie - he's been in there half an hour. If he takes any longer, I might throttle him._

"Ari?"

Drew looked up to see Tony emerge from the bathroom, dressed in blue jeans and a black button-down shirt with the top two buttons undone. "Finally. I thought you were never gonna finish up in there."

Tony rolled his eyes. Drew stood. Compared to Tony, he was underdressed, in black basketball shorts and a blue Maestro's Classic sweatshirt. "How's she doing?"

"Good," Drew told him. "She said hello."

"Tell her I said hello. She's gonna be at _Money in the Bank_ tomorrow?"

Drew nodded. "Yeah."

"You gonna invite her to watch the show with us? I'm sure Noam would love that," he said with a laugh. He looked at Drew, who wasn't laughing. "Oh, lighten up. If you're not gonna do something, you can't be mad at someone who will."

"Noam's doing this to spite me, and you know it." Tony laughed.

"It's probably a little of column A and a little of column B," Tony agreed. Tony made sure he slid his wallet and key-card into his pocket before leaving. "I mean, she's about to go home with you. Are you really not going to just lay it all out for her?"

"I don't know," Drew confessed. "There's a lot..."

"I thought you were all about no excuses," Tony told him. Drew glowered at Tony, who reached out and pressed the button on the elevator. "You seriously stood back on the sidelines for _years_. Then you lost her. Then she came back, and by some miracle you two reconnected. If that's not the biggest sign...If you want to shoot your shot, you can't be mad when someone does."

"Do we have to talk about this?" Drew grumbled, stepping into the elevator. Tony followed.

"We don't, but I'm just going to remind you that you're the only one standing in your way at the moment." He pressed the button for the ground floor. "I don't care what you do one way or the other, I just want you to quit pining. It's sad."

"I'm not pining. I don't know what the hell you're talking about."

"Oh." Drew's gaze snapped to Tony.

"What the hell is that supposed to mean, _oh?_ " Drew demanded. Tony nodded.

"I get it - you're scared of Bryan." Drew snorted.

"I am _not_. Ari is a grown woman, and we're all adults here."

"Uh-huh."

"Tony, don't make me kill you in this elevator." Tony shrugged.

"You could try if you wanted, but you go to jail and Noam wins." Drew's jaw clenched. Tony bit back a laugh as the elevator door slid open. They walked out into the lobby, towards the restaurant. Drew fought the urge to stick out his foot and trip Tony in the lobby.

* * *

 **"Are you sure you're going to be okay in Philly?"**

Ari looked up from her phone at Bryan sitting on the bed beside her. "Yeah. Everything's going to be great," she assured him. "I'll get to see some old friends, pop in at the college and see if my favorite professors are still there. I'm looking forward to it." She plastered a smile to her face, her gaze shifting to her phone when it buzzed in her hand. Drew was excited that she was watching _Blade Runner 2049_ with her brother. He wanted to talk to her about it when he saw her at the arena the following day.

They were tucked into their beds, in their comfiest pair of pajamas, trying to relax and unwind. Ari was tired, but she wasn't quite ready to fall asleep yet.

"Did he pressure you to stay with him?" Bryan asked. Ari shot him a look.

"No, not at all. Drew's not like that. He offered. He said he had the extra space, and it saves me on a hotel. It'll be nice to spend some time with him outside of all... _this_ ," Ari told him.

"Be careful out there, okay?"

"I always am," she assured him. "You know you don't have to worry about me so much, right?"

"I'm always going to worry about you - you're my sister," Bryan reminded her. He readjusted in the bed so he could look at her. "I just don't want to see anyone take advantage of you."

Ari blinked. "It's never been like that with Drew."

"It's just weird. You came out to see us, to spend time with us, and now you're off to the east coast," Bryan pointed out. Ari felt a twinge of guilt.

"I won't be there for long - I just wanted to say hello to the friends I made there. I mean, I don't know when I'll be back, so I may as well fit everyone in while I'm here," she told him.

"You really haven't thought about moving back home?" he asked.

"No," she answered. "I like what I have. It might not be what you and Brie have, but it's mine."

Bryan sighed. Their discussion was going nowhere. "How about we just watch the movie? We can talk more in the morning. I know you've got to be tired."

Ari nodded, but she felt like she'd instigated a fight, and that was the last thing she wanted to do. They fell in an awkward and uncomfortable silence. Bryan's words made her feel like she was abandoning her family all over again, and she suddenly felt like she was in a tug of war between the lives she'd led.

Bryan fell asleep halfway through the movie. Ari made it through the whole thing. As much as she wanted to sleep, she couldn't force her brain to shut down.


	14. Chapter 14

**Chapter Fourteen**

* * *

 **2010**

 _Drew emerged from behind the curtain, dressed in a pair of blue jeans and a black jacket. He was set to open the door in thirty-five minutes and he was hoping to sneak a quick cup of coffee and enjoy the silence before chaos took over. His eyes scanned over the empty chairs, around to the merchandise tables where DJ had set up some memorial T-shirts and an autographed belt to auction off. There were plans to open the show with a ten-bell salute for a fallen brother, and then later on in the evening he'd be back out in the ring to defend his Wired Championship against Nick Gage, and his only game plan was to do everything in his power to have the rules enforced, whether the fans liked it or not. Drew was pretty sure he knew how the fans were going to feel about rules and regulations._

 _To his surprise, he spotted Ari sitting behind the ticket table, ankles crossed, her nose firmly implanted in the textbook she was reading while absently munching on a peanut butter chocolate chip cookie. Her hair was tied back in a bun, but a strand had fallen out to frame her face. She was dressed in a black CZW T-shirt and dark blue jeans with black ankle boots._

 _Smoothing his jacket, Drew approached the table. "Hey – what are you doing out here?"_

 _Startled, Ari looked over at Drew, who offered her a sheepish apology. She smiled. "The usual guy can't make it tonight, so DJ asked if I could pull double duty. So tonight you can call me the ringside medic."_

 _"Nice. I was looking at the card DJ set up, and it's pretty stacked. You've got a better seat in the house than I do," he pouted, rounding the table and sliding into an empty chair beside her. Ari wordlessly slid her Tupperware container of cookies to him. "Thank you. You make these?"_

 _"This morning."_

 _"I love your baking," he confessed. He took a bite and released a loud noise of pure joy. "I don't know what you do, but I swear it's like eating a cloud."_

 _"A magician never reveals her secrets," Ari teased. She slipped her bookmark into her textbook. Looking at the ring, she found Chuck in there, chatting in the middle of the canvas with Ricochet, Ruckus, and AR Fox. "That match should steal the show tonight," she commented._

 _"I know. Best seat in the house," he told her, motioning to where she was sitting. Ari laughed._

 _"You're_ actually _in the ring. I don't think it gets any better than that."_

 _"That's because you've never taken a bump," Drew told her. He reached out and slid her book towards him. "What are you reading? Anything I need to pick up?" She laughed. Drew crinkled his face in distaste as he read the long title. "Looks riveting."_

 _"It's a real page-turner," she told him. Shaking her head, she grinned. "You are in rare form tonight."_

 _"Thanks. I'll be here all week. Then, it's off to Germany."_

 _"Are you getting excited to go?"_

 _"Yeah. First international tour. It should be fun."_

 _"I hope you have fun. I'm gonna miss you while you're gone," she told him._

 _"It's only for a couple of weeks. I'll be back before you know it. Just…keep yourself alive until then. Remember to eat. Don't make me send my enforcer after you."_

 _"Your enforcer. Is that Rory's new nickname now?" she asked teasingly. They fell quiet for a moment. "I know you aren't big on sight-seeing, and I know Mox will probably give you grief for acting like a tourist, but can you get some pictures for me?"_

 _"No promises, but I'll give it a shot." He reached for another cookie. The door opened and Ari was about to tell the fans to stay outside until the doors were opened, but the words died on her lips when she saw Moxley walk in with a leggy blonde. He was dressed in blue jeans and a black T-shirt, his blond hair around his ears. The blonde was hanging off him almost comically. Ari had never seen her before, but she was beautiful, her makeup done just right. She wore denim cut-offs and an Explicit Mox Violence T-shirt that was cut to expose ample amounts of midriff and cleavage. Drew shot a look at Ari, and he saw something flicker in her eyes._

 _He realized in the four years that he'd known her, she'd never had a boyfriend. He never heard about any dates she'd been on. The world of Ari Harris was all work and no play, and Drew had to surmise that it meant for a very dull existence. After their talk, when he'd learned about her past, when she'd cried on his shoulder and told him she couldn't be their medic anymore, he'd been surprised when she'd come back the following month. He realized that CZW had become her outlet, her way to blow off steam._

 _Personally, he was thankful that she hadn't given up on them. The guys trusted her, and they respected and adored her. The mainstays protected her like she was their little sister. Nobody messed with her. Drew was glad she stayed; he would have missed seeing her, always armed with a smile and ready to roll up her sleeves and jump into the fray. Her absence would have been felt, probably by nobody more than him._

 _Mox looked over at Ari. "Wanna join us?" he asked with a grin. Offended, the blonde scowled and hit him in the chest before she shot Ari a dirty look._

 _"Don't you have things to do?" Drew asked, realizing exactly what he'd walked into when Moxley grinned. "Don't even think about answering that."_

 _"Can we use your office, Doc? I think our girl here is overdue for a checkup," he cracked. Ari clapped a hand over her mouth, horrified. With a laugh, they walked towards the black curtain. Drew's jaw tightened. He looked at Ari._

 _"She seems nice," Ari commented. Drew laughed. "Is she his new manager?"_

 _"Not a manager. She comes out to these shows pretty frequently, and, uh…"_

 _"…She leaves with the guys after just as frequently. Got it." He looked at her. "What? I'll be the first to admit I'm pretty naïve sometimes, but it's not hard to read between the lines when you get a look like_ that _. I'm not judging, just…" Ari shook her head. "Never mind."_

 _Drew grabbed another cookie, promising himself it would be the last. He bit into it. "Have you ever gone home with her?"_

 _Drew choked. Reaching out, Ari slapped on his back. She quickly handed him the Kleenex box at the end of the table so he could clean himself up. "Thanks."_

 _"Sorry," she told him. "Not judging. Just...curious."_

 _With a sigh, mentally reminding himself to punch Moxley at the first available chance, Drew shook his head. "No, Ari. I've never gone home with her." To Drew's dismay, Ari was very good at reading between the lines._

 _"You've done it before, though."_

 _"What is this?" he asked with a laugh. The burning in his neck had worked its way into his face. He was sure Ari could tell he was burning with embarrassment. She was staring at him, and he felt the urge to defend himself. "It was forever ago, okay? I was eighteen, and it's not something I've done before or since." He spoke rushed, and Ari's eyes widened. "It was a one-time thing, and it was…awful. For everyone. I shouldn't admit this, but it was so awful she quit coming to the shows. Okay? So can we quit talking about this now?"_

 _"I'm sorry." Ari averted her eyes, and he could see she was just as embarrassed as he was. He could see there were still questions she had. With a sigh, Drew leaned forward on the table. "What?"_

 _"Not judging, just…is it weird? With someone you've never met?"_

 _"Yeah," he answered honestly. Somehow, a one-night stand wasn't anywhere near as awkward as the current conversation he found himself in. It dawned on Drew that Ari was still a virgin, and the thought embarrassed him even more. They fell quiet. Drew cleared his throat. "You want to grab a cup of coffee?"_

 _"Oh my God, yes!" Ari blurted, and Drew could see in her eyes that she was grateful for an out to the conversation. "I told myself I was going to get myself a cup, like, twenty minutes ago, but then I got caught up reading the chapter. I still have four chapters to read before Monday."_

 _They stood. "How do they expect you to remember that much?" he asked._

 _"I don't know, but they do," she answered honestly. "It sucks. Lately, I feel like my brain is shutting down, and, of course, it's mid-terms in a couple of weeks."_

 _"What are you doing for fun?" he asked her as they walked towards the coffee area._

 _"Fun? What is fun? There is no fun. There is only work, school, and sleep," she told him._

 _"You're making me really worried about leaving you," Drew sighed. He grabbed two cups and filled them both with coffee. "When's your next night off?" he asked._

 _"Wednesday."_

 _"We're going out Wednesday. I don't know what we're doing, or where we're going, but you're going to have fun if it kills both of us." She laughed. He watched her begin to concoct the perfect cup of coffee. "I mean it, Ari. You're probably hitting a wall because you're burning out."_

 _"You're probably right," she told him. "I'll think of something fun."_

 _"Fun, Ari. Nothing where you need to think."_

 _"Ask me to stop breathing, why don't you?" She laughed. Taking a sip of her coffee, she put a hand on his shoulder. "Good luck out there tonight. Be careful."_

 _He smiled. She always wished him luck, always told him to be careful. Drew wasn't sure if she said something to anyone else, but whenever he heard it from her, he felt like the only person in the room._

* * *

 **Bryan had left Ari in the charge of Bayley while he went off to get ready for his upcoming match against Big Cass.** Ari liked Bayley; she was all smiles, hugs, and infectious energy. They sat together on a trunk, drinking coffee, talking about Bayley's days on the independent circuit and her hopes and dreams for the women's division within WWE. Ari confessed she wasn't totally knowledgeable on wrestling, that she only really paid attention when Bryan was involved, but she knew a few of the names Bayley mentioned, women like Trish Stratus and Lita.

They talked about Ari's days at Combat Zone, how she'd been surprised to come home to America to find so many familiar faces had been signed to WWE. "You honestly never thought about getting into the ring?" Bayley asked, legitimately surprised. Ari shook her head.

"No. I mean, Drew pulled me in a couple of times to kind of learn the ropes, but it was always just kind of for fun. This was always Bryan's life, and I had my own thing. Just…in college, it happened to collide. I like to call it battlefield experience," she added with a laugh. "I've seen some things, and I never thought I'd be able to use the experience somewhere else, but it's come in handy a few times."

"Patching up deathmatch wrestlers had to be a job and a half," Bayley commented. Ari nodded.

"Moxley was always a heart attack," she said with a laugh. "And he always made it difficult."

"Not much has changed there," Bayley said with a laugh. "Between you and me, I think he misses that style."

"It can be kind of an addiction," Ari agreed. She'd seen it, had spoken to enough of the guys while she patched up their various wounds. _Tournament of Death_ was always her least favorite weekend; the amount of blood always scared the hell out of her. But she had been determined to be a professional; after the overdose incident, she'd thrown herself into professionalism, doing her best to maintain a calm and cool demeanor, no matter the circumstance. She'd devoted so much of her life to taking care of others, she had to see it through, no matter how hard it could be.

Looking down the hall, Ari spotted Drew walking down the hall, dressed in a navy suit with a white button-down shirt and a black tie. He was flanked to the right by Tony and to the left by Ariya. He was sipping on a cup of coffee, deep in conversation with the guys. Ari looked at Bayley. "Excuse me for a second?"

"Go get him, Tiger," Bayley said with a laugh. Ari slid off the trunk and left her coffee with Bayley. She bolted towards the guys, and Bayley found herself smiling.

Tony saw her approaching first and grabbed Drew's cup of coffee. He looked at Tony, confused, as Tony stepped away from him. Ariya did the same. Looking ahead, Drew barely had time to brace for Ari as she launched herself at him, wrapping her arms around his neck and hugging him tightly. Drew stumbled backward but caught his footing, one arm wrapping around her waist while the other moved up her back, his hand cupping the back of her head. He laughed.

"Hey!" he greeted. Her embrace was surprisingly tight. The thought flitted through his mind that she was holding onto him like she never wanted to let him go. He was very aware of Tony and Ariya watching him, but at that moment, he didn't care. He'd been waiting to see her since she'd gone home. "So this is what it's like when people are happy to see me. I could get used to this."

"I missed you," she told him softly, her head rested on his chest. Tony watched the smile on his face morph to almost Cheshire Cat-like proportions. Pulling back from Ari, he thanked Tony as he took his coffee back. "Bryan's gone to get ready for his match?"

"Yep. I've just been having coffee with Bayley." Drew looked over Ari's shoulder and offered a quick wave to Bayley, who waved back. "Bryan told me not to move a muscle, but I had to come and say hi."

"What's your game plan for the night?" Drew asked.

"Not a whole lot. I think Bryan wanted to catch the show with me after his match. I won't know until I see him," Ari confessed.

"Why don't you come watch the show with us?" Ariya invited. Ari looked at him, surprised.

"I couldn't intrude…"

"No intrusion," Tony jumped in. "We'd love to have you."

Ari looked at Drew. She thought about it for a moment. Bryan had been standoffish and irritable all morning, and she suspected that now that it was clear she was going to the east coast, his unhappiness with her decision was finally beginning to ooze out. She supposed Bryan couldn't get any more bothered with her, so she nodded. "Sure. Let me grab my coffee."

The guys watched her make her way towards Bayley. After a moment, they followed behind her.

"Hey, guys!" Bayley greeted. "You're stealing her from me, are you?"

"We are," Tony told her.

"I know you don't have a match tonight – would you want to come watch the show with us?" Drew asked. Bayley grinned.

"For sure." She grabbed her coffee. "I'm supposed to be looking after _this one_ anyway," she said, giving Ari a nudge. Drew nodded; he couldn't help but think that the more things change, the more things stayed the same.

* * *

 **Bayley and Tony walked into the room first.** "Look who we brought with us to watch the show!" Tony announced. The guys cheered at the sight of Bayley. It wasn't the entire roster in the locker room; Jack, Akira Tozawa and Noam were the only ones inside, all of them sitting on chairs, watching the kickoff show on the small flat-screen TV. Bayley offered waves to them before she took a seat beside Akira, bumping fists with him.

Ariya walked in next, followed by Drew and Ari. At the sight of Ari, Noam grinned. "Aye, she's here!"

He was out of his chair in a flash, running at Ari, who was startled by the greeting. He wrapped his arms around her waist and spun her around, swinging her from side to side while she laughed and Drew died a little on the inside. "Good to see you back, Ari. How was your flight?" he asked, putting her down on the ground.

"It was a flight," she said with a laugh. Noam took a step back and took in her appearance. Dark blue jeans with black boots over the leg to the knees, with Drew's T-shirt underneath a taupe blazer. Her hair was pulled back in a braid. Noam's face crinkled at the logo on the shirt.

"We need to get you a new shirt while you're here," he told her. She looked down at it, blinking.

"I like it. It's comfortable."

"Yeah, but the man behind it's a real dafty," Noam pointed out. Drew scowled. Ari laughed. She stepped back to take her place beside Drew, draping her arm around his shoulders. He shot her a look.

"I know, but he's my dafty," she told him. The guys openly laughed. Drew shot her a look.

"Um, thanks? I think. That felt awfully backhanded."

Noam reached out and grabbed Ari's hand. "Come have a seat with me. Are you ready for the show?"

"I am!" Ari shot a quick, sheepish look at Drew before Noam started leading her across the locker room. Drew followed behind, sipping his coffee, holding back a deep-bodied sigh of defeat. Bayley watched quietly, realizing that the chatter she'd heard among the 205 roster was true.

Ari was seated in the middle, Drew on the left, Noam on the right. The show was just about to begin. Ari pulled out her phone and quickly gave Bryan a text to let her know that she was with Bayley at the 205 locker room. "Shooting a message to your boyfriend?" Noam teased. Drew jolted. It hadn't even occurred to him that she would have someone waiting for her, but the way she'd spoken about being a nomad seemed to make it clear she wasn't involved. Ari shot him a look and snorted.

"My brother. If I don't let him know I'm here, he might actually send a search party," Ari told him.

"He always been this protective?" Noam asked, recalling Bryan giving him grief about asking for her number.

"Yes," Drew and Ari answered in unison. Noam shot Drew a look, but Drew was focused on the TV, sipping his coffee. From her spot beside Akira, Bayley bit back a laugh at the expression on Drew's face. She surmised that he'd seen Bryan's protective side a few times over the time he'd known Ari.

"How do you date?" Noam joked.

"I don't," Ari said with a laugh. Drew looked at her. "I'm never in the same place anyway."

The show started, with the first match being the Bludgeon Brothers taking on the team of Luke Gallows and Karl Anderson. Noam yawned and stretched, his arm going around the back of Ari's chair. Ari shook her head and ignored it. Bayley was sure she could see the smoke coming out of Drew's ears. "You're on the loop this week?" Noam asked her. Ari nodded. "How about we go out tomorrow night after the show? Grab a coffee or something."

"I would, but Bryan wants to spend as much time with me before I head out to Philly on Wednesday." Noam shot a look at Drew, surprised, but Drew kept his eyes on the TV. The last thing he wanted to do was make an idiot of himself in front of everyone.

"Are you going to come back on the road?" he asked. Ari nodded.

"Yeah. I'll be out there for two weeks," she told him. "When I come back out, you're on."

Bayley's talk with Akira died when she heard that, her head snapping to look at Drew, who was stock-still and stoic in his spot, sipping his coffee. Bayley wondered if Ari was aware of the way Drew felt about her. It was apparent to everyone in the room with a working set of eyes that he was head over heels for the woman.

As Big Cass made his way to the ring, Ari learned that there weren't a lot of people in the 205 locker room that missed Cass's former partner, Enzo, who had been fired in January. She watched Bryan make his way out to the ring, and she smiled. No matter how many times she saw him on TV, it still left her feeling like her heart had grown three sizes. She imagined it was pride; she was proud of her brother for following his dreams, for seeing things through despite incredible odds.

It wasn't a very long match; Bryan picked up a decisive victory. Ari stood. "I should go and meet him." Bayley moved to stand, but Ari put her hand out. "It's all good, Bayley – stay. Don't let me throw off plans." She looked over at Drew. "I'll text you later."

"Sounds good," Drew told her. She turned her back and Drew reached out and shoved Noam's chair. Not expecting the move, Noam let out a yelp as he went down to the ground. Ari turned her head quickly to see Noam on the floor and Drew sipping his coffee, watching the screen.

"Are you okay?"

"He's fine. I told him earlier that chair was rickety," Drew said. Glaring at Drew, Noam nodded. Everyone had the sense to keep their laughter in until the door closed behind her.

* * *

 **Bryan stepped through the curtain, into the backstage area, his eyes scanning the area.** His plan now was to do a post-match interview for the special features of the DVD. He ran a hand through his hair, pushing it away from his face. He couldn't wait to have a shower and get into a comfortable hoodie.

His eyes fell on Ari approaching quickly. Her smile was enormous. Things had been tense all day between the two of them, but he couldn't read any of it on her. "Hey," he greeted.

"Hey. Great job out there," she told him. She moved to hug him, but he put a hand out to stop her.

"I'm all gross and sweaty. You might want to hold off until I have a shower," he told her. She nodded, but he could tell she was a little disappointed. "How was your time with Bayley?"

"Great. She's amazing," Ari told him with a smile.

"I just have to do a quick interview, and then you're going to catch the rest of the show with me, right?" he asked. Ari nodded.

"Of course." He liked that answer. They began to walk together down the hall, Bryan thanking his colleagues for their compliments on the match. Bryan introduced Ari to a few people on the _Raw_ brand. He'd given her a nudge for staring at Finn Balor for a second too long and instantly made her feel sheepish in front of the Irish Superstar.

"Can you contain yourself?" Bryan hissed as they walked away from Finn. "I have to work with him."

"I'm sorry," she offered. "He seems nice."

"He's very taken."

"That's not what I meant." Ari sighed. "I don't want to fight with you tonight, okay? I'm sorry."

Bryan nodded. "I don't want to fight with you, either. Truce?" They shook hands. He left her at the lights and cameras, stepping into the frame to do an interview with Kayla Braxton. Ari crossed her arms over her chest and sighed. She never could understand why Bryan was so uptight whenever she was on the road with him.

* * *

 **"So…how long have you had a thing for her?"**

Drew looked around the pizzeria, hoping that the waitress was approaching with their pizzas so the question could die a thousand deaths. When he realized she wasn't coming, he turned his attention to Bayley and sighed. "I don't know what you're talking about," he told her, and was quickly surrounded by a unison exclamation of "Bullshit!" Drew made a face.

The show was long over, and before their drive to the next town, Drew, Tony, Ariya, Jack, Sasha, and Bayley got together to grab something to eat. After, the women were going to separate and make their way to the next town, with the guys following. Drew hadn't realized how hungry he was until he'd stepped through the doors and the scent of pizza hit his nostrils. All he wanted to do was eat, get to the next town, shower, and sleep.

"Everyone sees it," Jack pointed out succinctly, sipping on his water with lemon. Drew shot him a chagrined look. Jack flashed him a smile and Drew shook his head.

"You pushed Noam out of his chair for no reason," Bayley said sarcastically. Drew shook his head.

"I didn't do anything. You saw nothing," he told her.

"Why are you denying it? Shit, you're among friends here. It hasn't been a secret since she got here," Tony reminded him. Drew exhaled, his body sagging. He turned his head, again looking for the waitress. "She's not coming to save you, man."

"You scared that one of these ladies here are going to snitch you out to Bryan?" Ariya asked with a snort. Bayley's eyes widened. Her brown hair was pulled back in a regular ponytail.

"Oh, I get it now."

"Can we stop acting like I'm scared of Bryan?" Drew asked. "That's getting old."

"Then what's stopping you?" Tony asked.

"It's complicated."

"Excuses, excuses. I'm gonna remember this the next time you start one of your no excuses spiels," Tony told him. Drew shot him a look.

"It doesn't matter anyway – she's got a date with Noam when she's done visiting," Drew replied. Ariya quickly looked down at the table, struggling to hold back his smile. "It's never been like that with us. Ever."

"I don't think she notices," Bayley told him honestly. "It's so obvious, but I don't think she sees it."

"Because I'm an honorary brother. Always have been," he told her. He looked down at his hands. "I guess I've been stupid. I put everything on hold waiting for the day when she'd come back, and now she's here, and it's Noam she likes. Go figure."

"You're being so dense right now," Sasha told him. He looked at her. "Where's your fight anyway? You'd really lay down and let Noam take her from under you?"

"She's her own woman, Sasha," Drew reminded her. "And she's going to like who she likes. Back in the day, it was Moxley. Now it's Noam."

"Dude, you've been waiting for her, and you're just gonna sit all passive and shit? Did you not see the way she jumped on you tonight?" Tony asked, unable to keep the disgust out of his voice. "I told you – it's Bryan. That's the difference. Noam doesn't care."

"Ugh. Where is that waitress?"

"Not moving fast enough to save your ass," Ariya said with a laugh.

"Do something – you're going to regret it if you don't," Sasha told him. "And you'll have no one to blame but yourself." Bayley nodded in agreement.

"Here you go, guys – sorry about the wait."

The waitress put the first pizza down on the table between Drew, Sasha, Tony, and Bayley.

"Thank God!" Drew exclaimed. The waitress, a young blonde with a nametag that read WHITNEY, looked at him, surprised. Tony shot her a smile.

"Don't mind him – he has to eat every half hour or he's starving to death," Tony covered. Drew looked around the table as everyone nodded in agreement.

"What the hell is this tonight?" he asked. The waitress shared a laugh with them and disappeared. "I'm never riding with you guys again."

"You say that every week," Jack reminded him. Drew sighed and reached for two slices of pizza. He'd never wanted the floor to open up and swallow him whole so badly.


	15. Chapter 15

**Chapter Fifteen**

* * *

 **2010**

 _Ari took a sip from her coffee cup as she waited for the red light to turn green. She had a burned MP3 CD in her stereo, a disc she'd spent all week crafting to appease both of their musical tastes. She looked at the snowy landscape in front of her, grateful that she'd be in front of Drew's apartment in a matter of moments and she could just hand him the keys and sit in the passenger's seat. Ari hated winter driving, and she knew Drew didn't mind taking over the route; after all, she was doing him a solid._

 _It was a Saturday that didn't involve a Combat Zone show, and Drew had to make the drive to Boston to do an independent show that evening, followed by a show in New York the following night. Ari couldn't remember the names of the promotions for the life of her; she chalked it up to studying for her finals. Wednesday was going to be the last of them, and then she was officially off for Christmas vacation. She was set to fly out to Aberdeen on Friday; Drew had volunteered to bring in her mail and make sure her apartment was still standing between some of the dates he had to work._

 _His invitation had surprised her, and she'd thought about turning him down, but she realized a weekend away to unwind before going into the last of her final exams was just what she needed. They had worked it out; it would be late, but Ari and Drew would be back in Philadelphia late Sunday night or early Monday morning, allowing them both a few hours of sleep before work and class._

 _She was packing the night before when he'd phoned to sheepishly tell her the heater just went on his car and offering her an out on the trip if she didn't want to freeze the entire time. With winter weather, holidays, and bills, Ari knew that there was no way he could afford to get it fixed right away._

 _The light changed to green and she pulled forward while she used a hand to put her coffee back into the holder. She'd surprised him by offering to use her car for the weekend, and while he'd tried to protest, she reminded him that it was a five hour drive to Boston, a long time for anyone to freeze without getting sick. It hadn't taken a lot of arm twisting for her to convince Drew that taking her car was the way to go; she'd just had it serviced when she'd had her tires changed the month before, and she knew it could make the trip._

 _She pulled into a visitor parking spot. In the rear-view mirror, she could see Drew leaned against the wall, bundled up for winter, beside his suitcase. He was looking at his phone, typing furiously with his gloved hands. Killing the ignition, Ari grabbed her coffee and got out of the car. "Good morning – I got a coffee in the car for you," Ari called out to him. He looked up at her as she approached._

 _Ari took in the tension on his face and her step faltered. She cocked her head, eyes narrowing. "Is everything all right? What's wrong? Did they cancel?"_

 _"No, no." Drew sighed. "I think I need coffee before I can talk about this."_

 _"You want a sip of mine?" she offered, eager to find out why he looked so tense. He grimaced._

 _"That's sugar with a little bit of coffee. You said you have a cup for me in the car?"_

 _"Of course." She moved to grab his suitcase, but he took it instead._

 _"Nice try." She handed him her keys and they made their way across the parking lot. Drew's phone went off again, and from her periphery, Ari could see his jaw tense. He opened the trunk, a smirk quirking his face at the sight of roadside emergency essentials packed. Blankets, crackers, water, flares, jumper cables. He wedged his bag in beside her emergency area and shut the trunk._

 _He pulled out his phone and let his eyes scan over the message. Chewing on his lower lip thoughtfully, he started trying to find a quick solution to his current problem. Leaving the message to sit, he sent a quick text message to Danny Havoc before he got in the car._

 _They sat in silence for a moment. Drew took a deep breath. Ari handed him his cup of coffee. "Thank you."_

 _"Is this a Combat Zone problem?" she asked. Ari began thinking about all the possible troubles he could be having with the promotion – was he not getting paid? Were they going to quit booking him? Was there a scheduling conflict with some dates he had coming up?_

 _"Yeah." Drew sighed. "Something's going on with Gage."_

 _"What's going on?"_

 _"I don't know. DJ's trying to get to the bottom of it, but it's looking like everything I've been working towards with him is off the table now." Drew sucked in a breath. "I don't have all the details, but it's gotta be bad if our entire program is getting scrapped."_

 _Ari's face was sympathetic. He was beginning to find his footing, and now it looked like the rug was being pulled out from under him. The crowd hated Drew, and it looked like they were going to build towards Drew doing a death match against Gage in the future. "I'm so sorry…" she offered. Drew shrugged._

 _"It's wrestling. Things change on the fly all the time." It was a stock answer, one she knew he'd told himself over and over again whenever he got disappointed. "I might have a plan, but it's going to depend on Danny and DJ being on board with it."_

 _"Why wouldn't they be?" she asked. He shrugged._

 _"Depends on what DJ wants to do." Drew leaned his head back against the seat._

 _"Do you want me to drive?" Ari asked. "You can deal with all of this…"_

 _"No. No. I'll text them and let them know I'm on the road, and we can deal with all of this on Monday when we have all the facts," Drew told her. "There's no sense in stressing out. I can't change what's happening."_

 _"No, you can't," Ari agreed. Drew typed a quick message and tossed his phone in the backseat before he started the car. He snorted as the music resumed, revealing she'd been driving to his house listening to "What's My Name?"_

 _"Really, Ari?"_

 _"There's no judgment in this car."_

 _"That's cool. Outside's fair game."_

 _"There's stuff you like on here, too…" Drew moved his arm around her seat and looked behind him as he backed out of the parking space. His phone vibrated, but he opted to ignore it. There was nothing he could do about it now, and they needed to get on the road quickly so that he had time to unwind and stretch out before the show._

 _They drove for a while in silence. Ari stared out the window at the snow-covered trees. "I know you probably don't want to hear this right now, but everything's going to work out exactly how it needs to."_

 _He sighed. "I know." He took a sip of his coffee. "Thank you." She shot him a mystified look. "The coffee, the car…the endless encouragement…I don't tell you enough, but I appreciate it."_

 _Drew shot her a look. Her smile seemed to light up the car. "I know you do. Even when you don't say it," she added, sipping her coffee. Drew opened his mouth to respond but ended up laughing when the song changed to "Shipping up to Boston"._

 _"Really, Ari?"_

 _"I couldn't think of a more appropriate time to add it to the playlist." He looked at her, then back at the road, shaking his head and laughing. Given the way his morning had gone, he couldn't think of a better way to cope than taking a road trip with his best friend._

* * *

 **"Oh, shit!"**

Drew bit back a laugh as the TV screen flashed quickly and the words "FINISH HER" showed up in gigantic red letters. Ari's shoulders sagged in defeat as Drew gleefully pressed the combination of buttons he needed to unleash a fatality on Ari's defenseless Cassie Cage.

It was Monday night, and while _Monday Night Raw_ was airing live on the USA Network, the _SmackDown_ and _205 Live_ locker rooms were doing a house show in Louisville, Kentucky, before driving to Chicago, Illinois, for the dual tapings of _SmackDown Live_ and _205 Live_ the following day. Drew was already stretched out and dressed in his ring gear with his T-shirt; later in the evening he'd be teaming with Tony Nese to take on two members of the Lucha House Party; which two, he wasn't sure of yet. His suspicions were that it would be Kalisto and Gran Metallik, with Lince Dorado at ringside, but the trainers wanted to look over Kalisto first before any decisions were made.

While the 205 crew waited on a finalized match card, Drew had run into Ari, who was left in the care of Bayley once again for the evening. While Drew thought it was nice that he was leaving Ari with people instead of to her own devices, there was a huge part of him, knowing their history, that thought he was tasking his colleagues with babysitting her. Many times, over the years Drew wondered if that was Bryan's way of keeping her just outside of his world whenever she wanted to venture in it; he knew it made Ari feel so small when he tasked others with "protecting" her, especially after she'd found her independence in Philadelphia.

While Scorpion performed his overly cinematic fatality on Cassie, Drew snuck a glance at Ari from his periphery. Since the roundtable talk twenty-four hours ago at the pizzeria, Drew found himself mentally in an infinite spiral, his thoughts and feelings veering in every direction he could conceive of. Mostly, he was embarrassed; mentioning her coffee date with Noam had exposed his hand, and now everyone around him knew that he was jealous of the attention Noam was showering on Ari whenever they crossed paths. The idea of standing in the background once again twisted his guts the same way it used to when she'd talk about and hang around Moxley at CZW.

"You're out of practice," Drew told her. Ari kept her eyes on the screen, cringing at the sword pinning Cassie's head to the stone wall. "You want to try it again?"

"Um, _yeah_."

Drew smiled as he hit the buttons to take them back out to the fighter select menu. They were playing on Xavier Woods' PlayStation 4. It had begun as a tournament for his _Up, Up, Down, Down_ video game channel, but Xavier had surprised Ari with an invitation to play around against Drew when the recording had finished. She'd been unable to contain her snicker when Drew had sheepishly revealed his nickname to Ari. Tony hadn't been surprised at all to know that she knew why he'd chosen it.

In two days, she'd be flying back to Philadelphia with him, and Tony could tell she was nervous. It was obvious to the 205 crew that they were still walking on eggshells around each other, but Tony knew their talk was never going to work over the phone. He hoped they worked through things before she left again, for both of their sakes. Tony hoped Drew wasn't stupid enough to let another opportunity with Ari slip through his fingers because he had to be the "nice guy" who "played by the rules".

Beside Drew, Ari felt embarrassed. He was right; she _was_ out of practice. She'd shed her skin entirely when she'd left America. Everything that had made Ari a favorite person to hang around with had been thrown out the window; all that remained was someone who let her career absorb her identity. She'd been all work and no play for a long time, scratching and climbing and relocating in hopes of reaching the top of her field. Ari thought if she did that, then the whispers about her being just like her mother would disappear, because she'd done something with her life. It was a cold, harsh thought, but she hadn't thrown it away like her mother had, and while that should have been good enough for her, it wasn't.

Drew had schooled her thoroughly, taking the first round with a flawless victory, and the second with most of his health bar intact. The small group of wrestlers sitting behind them were firmly Team Ari, much to Drew's chagrin. Sitting behind her, dressed in his The Bar ring gear, Claudio clapped a hand on her shoulder.

"Atta girl!" he cheered loudly. "That's our Ari – down but never out!"

"I think I'm getting the hang of her," Ari murmured, more to herself than anyone else. She perked when she felt an unexpectedly gentle touch on her shoulder. Turning, she saw it was Asuka, who flashed her a comforting smile. Ari smiled back at her. Drew turned to see the exchange and put on an offended expression.

"Hey – whose side are you on here?" he demanded jokingly, prompting everyone to laugh. Ari took a deep breath and turned her attention back to the menu screen. Ari stayed with Cassie, but Drew decided to go with Johnny Cage. Ari looked at him as Xavier hooted and hollered behind them.

"Daddy-daughter brawl! It's on now!" Xavier announced.

"Who's your daddy, Ari?" Drew taunted, keeping his eyes on the screen.

"I am _not_ calling you Daddy, Drew," Ari snorted.

"Oh, come on, Ari," Tony piped up from behind Drew. "That's all he's ever wanted."

Ari had to bite back a laugh when Drew jerked like Tony had zapped him. His eyes grew wide while the other wrestlers howled with laughter and slapped Tony on the back. At that moment, he wanted to reach behind Tony and rip out his voice-box manually. He couldn't think of another time where he felt so embarrassed.

" _Round one – fight!"_

Drew beat her in the first round, but she'd surprised him by mashing her buttons wildly in the second round and taking the match. Xavier reached out and grabbed her by the shoulders, shaking her wildly.

"Oh, shit! Ari forced a tie breaker!" Big E shouted excitedly, clapping his hands together.

"You got this, Ari – you can beat him," Xavier told her.

"Not with you shaking me like that, I can't," she told him with a laugh. Xavier let go of her and sat back down between Kofi and Big E, his New Day brethren.

" _Final round – fight!"_

In the end, Drew and Ari gave it everything they had. By the end of the round, they were both leaned forward in their chairs as far as they could go, both of them yelling incoherently at the TV while the others shouted behind them. Johnny and Cassie were both down to critical health; the next hit would determine the winner.

Drew hit the shadow kick, and Ari released the breath she was holding as Cassie jumped out of the way, narrowly avoiding disaster. Jumping quickly, Cassie landed a picture-perfect uppercut that brought the fight to an end. The group exploded behind them. Drew leapt to his feet, controller in hand, his eyes wide. "What? No! No! I had that! I had you beat!"

 _"Finish him!"_

Ari paused, excited to execute a fatality. Drew sank down in his seat beside her. Asuka, Claudio, and Xavier were shouting all kinds of encouragement at Ari. Unpausing the game, Ari hit the buttons quickly. The screen darkened slightly before the music changed.

They watched as Cassie produced her baton, extending it and hitting Johnny in the face as hard as she could, breaking Johnny's jaw to the extent that it hung off his head like a door on a busted hinge. "Jesus Christ," Ari murmured, eyes wide. As Johnny began to fall forward, Cassie appeared behind him, grabbing him by the back of his head and taking a cell phone selfie with him in his injured state. Ari couldn't help but laugh at the social media page that sprouted up called _Friendships_ , complete with a newsfeed and scrolling comments.

"So unrealistic," she laughed. Turning, she handed Xavier the controller. "Thanks for letting me play."

"Anytime, Ari. If we ever tour in our area, you're gonna have to show me where the arcades are."

"You bet." Drew suspected she had no idea. She stood, allowing Kofi to steal her seat. "I'm going to get some coffee, though. Good luck on the next round." Bayley moved to stand, but Ari put her hand out. "Stay. Enjoy yourself. I'll be back."

"I'll come with you," Drew told her quickly, leaning down to pick up his coffee cup on the floor beside his chair. He held it up and motioned that it was empty. "I need another cup." He stood and turned, handing the controller to Asuka. "Traitor," he told her. She laughed but slid into the chair beside Kofi. He shot a glare at Tony, who grinned in response.

Ari and Drew fell in step beside each other. "Are you okay?" she asked.

"Yeah. Yeah, I'm good," he told her quickly. She wasn't sure she believed it. "You got lucky. You know that, right?"

"Oh, you know that I do," she told him. Ari looked at him; he was already dressed in his ring gear, with his For A Better 205 Live T-shirt. Later in the evening, he had to tag with Tony, and Drew wasn't sure how he was going to get through the match without killing the man.

He looked at her, dressed in his T-shirt underneath a black blazer and dark blue jeans. Her hair was pulled back in a loose braid. Her hair was falling out of it, strands framing her face flatteringly. All he wanted to do was reach out and brush a strand behind her ear. He wanted to tell her all the things he'd been keeping secret for so many years, lay all of his cards on the table.

"Ari…" Drew started, but before he could say anything else, an all-too-familiar voice cut into their moment.

"Aye, Ari! There you are! Ari, over here! Come sit with us! You can even bring the dafty!"

Ari looked over at Noam, then back at Drew. He looked disappointed. "I'm sorry about Noam…"

"He's harmless," she assured him. Reaching out, she put a hand on his shoulder. "Come on – we'll grab a coffee and join him for a few minutes. I don't know if I'll ever hear the end of it if I don't."

Drew wanted to tell her that she didn't have to do what everyone wanted her to do, but she was already closing the gap to the coffee area. With a sigh and a withering glare at Noam, who was sitting with Brian and Jack, Drew followed Ari. Noam returned Drew's glare with a comically large grin. Rolling his eyes and shaking his head, he followed Ari.

"Are you up for a road trip on Thursday night?" Drew asked her quietly. She filled her coffee cup and began to mix the coffee and creamer together. "You don't have to go if you don't want to, but I thought you'd be interested."

"What kind of a road trip?" she asked.

"Rory has a show in Jersey. I usually run the gimmick table for him when I'm home." Ari smiled.

"Forever the best big brother," she told him.

"Now that he's older, he gets it," Drew told her. "He wants me to bring you along. He said he wants to see you, but I told him it depended on how you felt after the trip."

"No, no…I'd love to go," she told him. "It would be good to see him."

Drew filled up his cup. "I'm supposed to take you by the Combat Zone. There's a few people who really want to see you." Ari shook her head.

"I find that hard to believe."

"It's true – you're probably the most popular medic they ever had," he told her with a laugh. "They got some retired paramedics who volunteer now, but none of them are as beautiful as you."

It was Ari's turn to jerk. She looked over at Drew, unable to keep the regret off his face, and she nodded. _He didn't mean it like that,_ she told herself internally. _That's why he's embarrassed. Just brush it off. He's kind of off tonight anyway._

"It'll be fun doing a road trip with you," she told him. "I always used to enjoy hitting the road with you."

"I always wished you weren't so busy so we could have done that more," he confessed. Like him, she had to do what she had to do to get ahead in her life, and she kept her schedule pretty busy between work and school. She'd only been able to make four or five trips with him over the years, but they were some of the fondest memories he had. He also enjoyed it because she insisted on being an equal; he didn't have to carry the burden himself in any way. She often got roped into being a medic at the buildings, but her focus was always on him. She'd drive half the distance, but if he took a bump that concerned her, she'd drive the entire way, telling him to keep his arguments to himself. She paid equally for gas and meals, at first in spite of his arguments that she wasn't obligated to. He knew that she didn't want to be seen as a leech or a freeloader, even if he'd invited her. She wanted to be a partner; she wanted to earn her keep. He wondered how much of that had to do with the things she'd heard growing up.

It had been hard for him to hide how sorry he'd felt for her on the night she'd confessed her past to him, but he'd promised her nothing would ever change between them. He knew if she caught even the slightest hint of pity in her eyes that it might kill her in ways he didn't want to comprehend. But after their talk, on their trips, she'd noticed he'd quit arguing about being equal.

"It'll be kind of like old times. Except we're older now," she added with a laugh. Armed with their cups of coffee, they made their way over to Noam, who shifted so Ari could sit down beside him. He was disappointed when Drew took her spot. Ari sat down between Brian and Jack.

"Hey, Ari. How's your night going?" Brian asked. He wrapped an arm around her shoulders and pulled her in for a hug. She took a sip of her coffee. Noam put his head on his hands and stared at her as if he were in love. Drew fought the urge to grab him by the back of the head and bounce his face off the table. The jealous streak he felt with Noam surprised him; he couldn't remember ever feeling so hot under the collar with Moxley.

"Good, good. Just got finished playing some video games with Xavier and the crew," she told him.

"When do you leave with this dafty?" Noam asked, nudging Drew with his shoulder. She laughed.

"After _SmackDown_ tomorrow. It's going to be pretty crazy to see everyone after so long," she confessed. "Going back to Combat Zone is going to feel so weird."

"I'm sure they miss you over there," Noam told her. She shook her head.

"I doubt it."

"I keep telling her the same thing," Drew replied, sipping his coffee. "If it's any consolation, she doesn't believe me, either."

"Hey. What are you doing here? I thought I left you with Bayley."

Ari looked behind her to see Bryan standing behind her, dressed in his gear with an unzipped Daniel Bryan hoodie. She flashed him a smile. "I just came to get some coffee and the guys here asked me to stop for a moment. I told Bayley to hang back because it was just a coffee run."

Drew expected Bryan to make a scene, but instead Bryan shrugged. "Fair enough. How is the coffee here tonight? Last night's had the texture of sludge."

"It did, didn't it?" she asked him, crinkling her face. "It's much better tonight." She got out of her seat. "Thanks, guys, but I'm gonna head off with my brother." She looked over at Drew. "I'll see you later."

He nodded. "Sure thing. You have a good night, Ari."

"You, too. Bye, guys." Bryan put an arm around her shoulders and led her away, shooting a look back at the guys as he led her out of the catering area.

* * *

 **When she'd been younger, Ari had always appreciated Bryan's protectiveness.**

In the six years since leaving America, Ari had forgotten how suffocating his love and guardianship could be, and how his moods could shift depending on what she did in his presence. She was back to feeling like she was walking on eggshells, about to be judged when she'd done nothing. Brie was surprised by the prudishness Bryan exhibited when Ari was in the picture, but for Ari, it was business as usual.

Growing up, there'd been times where his defensiveness over her caused arguments with others. He'd even found himself in a physical fight or two in the name of defending her honor. Back then, while she'd hated him getting in trouble, she'd been thankful that someone cared enough to stand up for her. Her first few years in the Danielson household had been difficult; every time she made a few steps forward, some new development, or some new phase in the proceedings had a way of kicking her back down to the bottom.

She'd adjusted and adapted the way that she was supposed to; she always used to hear the phrase "kids are resilient" thrown around in conversations. Nothing had thrown her for a bigger loop than when she'd had to go to court and testify against her mother.

Decades later, Ari still couldn't recall how she'd gotten through her emotional testimony about her mother's relationship with Chris, about the time they'd spent on the run while the police looked for her. Mentally, she'd somehow blocked it out entirely.

Sometimes she dreamed about that day in court. She could still remember the courtroom, with its high wood and cream walls. She still remembered the heavy smell of Pine Sol and wood polish. Sometimes she dreamed that she was the one on trial, while people she'd never met before pointed their fingers at her and decried her as being just as guilty as her mother, forgetting that in the end, she'd been a victim, too.

Courthouses still terrified her. She never had to go but driving past one was enough to give her goosebumps. In spite of everyone's best efforts to take care of her mental state before she went in, she still found herself traumatized by the experience. All of it had felt so big, so much bigger than her. She could still remember her mother in her jumpsuit, shackled, pale and sobbing. While she couldn't recall the words she spoke in court, she vividly remembered the sundaes Bryan made when she'd come home.

After the testimony, her mother decided it was best that Ari stay away from the courthouse. When her mother had been given life in prison with no parole, Bryan and Barb had sat down on the couch with her and explained everything. She'd already expected the verdict, so it hadn't hit her out of nowhere like so many things had before.

As she lay on the bed, zoned out on her phone, Ari looked back on her life and once again struggled with the cocoon of protection she'd spent her life encased in. She loved Bryan, but he always handled her like a child, like she was fragile and constantly in danger of falling through the cracks. Certain things Bryan said to her over the years, and even on her trip home, had Ari feeling like he still carried the fear that she'd become _just like her_. Trying to stay inside the lines everyone else had drawn out for her left her feeling alone and overly cautious.

Had she made mistakes? For sure. She'd made a huge mistake in Philadelphia, one that led her to the new life she lived. She'd never spoken about her mistake to _anyone_ , out of fear that the ones she loved would truly hate her. Leaving had seemed like the only option at the time, the only way to pull herself out of her funk and rebuild her life outside of everyone's watchful eyes.

It had taken her a long time to realize that her mistakes didn't define her, and that her mistakes didn't make her anything like her mother. All her life she'd paid for her mother's sins, and it didn't dawn on her until she was long gone that she was defined only by her own actions. She was Arista Harris.

Climbing out of the hole she'd fallen into had been hard. She'd been afraid, but her colleagues had been helpful. In her six years away, she'd met a lot of people, and some faces blurred together after a while, but those who went out of their way to see her through had a special place inside her heart.

Coming back to America, back to Bryan's protectiveness, Ari couldn't help but feel like she was sliding backwards again. She was back to walking on eggshells around Bryan, who still seemed to carry some kind of crazy belief that she was willing to mount anything with a pulse. Ari knew Bryan meant well, that his overprotectiveness came from a place of love, but as a woman in her thirties, she didn't need anyone to police her life.

She slid the picture on her camera phone to a picture of Ari with Drew and Tony. Her mouth pursed into a line. In all the time she'd known Drew, she knew he always liked to say that nothing endured but change. He used to say it so much to Ari that she used to joke he needed to slap it on a T-shirt and make some money off it. Drew always liked to tell her that when it felt like her life was beginning to spiral out of control. He'd always had a way of centering her and bringing her back to reality. She hated that he was so wise beyond his years; more often than not, his wisdom made him right about things. He was never a jerk about it, never gloated, never held it over her head, but just once, she'd wanted to read a situation like he could. In spite of his best efforts to relax Ari, her quest for perfection and her desire to be seen as better than her mother, had left her a ball of tension that didn't begin to release until she'd boarded that plane in late 2012.

Her phone buzzed. _He give you the third degree for hanging with us?_

Ari sighed. _Third degree cubed._

It was a few moments before her phone buzzed. _Ninth degree? Ouch. Noam's ruining it for all of us. Are you okay? Are things really tense?_

 _A bit. We haven't really talked since the arena. Things will be fine in the morning, hopefully._ She sent the message. Looking up at the clock on the wall, her eyes narrowed before returning to her phone. _I'm surprised you aren't asleep. You must be exhausted._

 _Can't sleep._ Ari was surprised. Drew had always been the type who could sleep anywhere, no matter how cramped and tight the conditions.

 _Is everything okay?_

 _Everything's fine. I promise._

* * *

 **He wasn't about to admit it, but Drew Gulak couldn't sleep because he was nervous.**

Drew wasn't known for being a man with sleep deprivation problems; being a professional wrestler meant he'd learned how to sleep anywhere, from planes to cars to floors. He'd slept in plenty of cramped spaces in his short years on Earth, using his bag as a pillow and his jacket as a makeshift blanket. It was a small price, a small due to pay his dues and climb the ranks of a world he'd loved ever since he was a child. He'd taken to the life of a professional wrestler like a fish took to water; it didn't take long for any aspect of the business to become second nature for him.

Professional wrestling had also deepened the connection he had with his brother. While there had always been some friendly competition between the Gulak boys, Drew never kept his brother on a leash the way that Bryan did with Ari, and while Drew knew some of that had to do with the things Ari had lived through growing up, Drew hated it whenever Bryan came around because the change in Ari became too visible to ignore. Without Bryan, she was effervescent, energetic and extroverted. He'd always seen her as a breath of fresh air at the CZW shows. Whenever Bryan came to stay, he liked to tell his colleagues that Ari was back in her gilded cage for the night, or the weekend, or however long Bryan stayed with her for. She'd go from being open to shut; she'd go quiet.

Drew had always understood why Bryan watched over her so vigilantly; on that cold night behind the 2300 Arena, it had been Drew's instinct to protect her. He'd been touched that Ari had trusted him enough to let out all the skeletons inside her closet. She didn't tell anyone else at CZW, and he'd been touched to know that she trusted only him with it. She'd pleaded with him to keep her secret, but she hadn't had to; he would have taken it to the grave if she'd asked.

He didn't want to admit that there was a direct connection between his newfound insomnia and Ari's presence back in his life. So while Tony slept soundly in the other bed, Drew lay in his and let his brain run in infinite circles. After the show tomorrow evening, she was leaving with him. They were going to take the flight back to Philly together. She was staying with him, having meals with him, seeing the sights with him. It felt like the old days, but everything was so different, and Drew wrestled with the conflicting feelings steadily.

In a few weeks, she'd be gone, back on a plane to Honduras, leaving one life to return to another, and he was going to lose her again. Before she left, he wanted to lay all the cards on the table between them. Since she'd returned, and they'd learned about their past, the guys - save for Noam, for obvious reasons - had been pestering Drew to talk to Ari. There was a nagging feeling in his gut that he'd just be making a complicated situation worse, but deep down, he knew his friends were right.

Thinking Noam's name sent Drew into another spiral, one he tried to shake off with much chagrin. He couldn't escape the feeling that Noam was breathing down Ari's neck, and he seemed to enjoy the anger, frustration, and torment it created within Drew. But he couldn't blame Noam; so many years later, he still thought Ari was beautiful. All of her quirky habits and bad song choices made her everything he ever wanted.

All he'd ever wanted for her was the best - he wanted her to be happy, with everything she'd ever dreamed of; especially after she'd told him about her birth mother. He was sure he could give her everything she ever wanted, but a combined fear of rejection and Bryan had left him on the sidelines. Her attraction and infatuation with Jon Moxley kept his mouth shut whenever he wanted to open up and tell her everything. He had seen the stars in her eyes every time Moxley acknowledged her, watched the way she'd get flustered as he'd ask her indecent questions and tell her to ditch "the zero" (Drew), and get with "the hero" (Moxley). The shine in her eyes wasn't there for Noam, but he'd convinced himself there was something there, even when Tony, Jack, and Brian were telling him he was being ridiculous.

For six years he'd lived with the regret of not opening his mouth and telling Ari how he felt. He'd beaten himself up for ignoring the signs that she was leaving, for not finding her at the airport and getting her off the plane like all the men did in those terrible romance movies he'd seen. He'd prided himself on being a no-frills, straight-shot kind of man, but there was so much about Ari that made him tread carefully. Even with all the years between them, it had become instinct. He supposed it was to protect himself when she inevitably rejected him.

Six years older and six years wiser, Drew knew what he had to do while he had her around, and he knew that the best way to do this was to act when everyone was away from them.

While he lay there, trying to work up the confidence, he found himself battling against a louder, stronger feeling that everything was going to backfire.


End file.
